LB /i7/ 




u 



The Course of Study 

in terms of 

Childrens Activities 

FOR 

The Kindei-j^arten and Primary Grades 



^[^[^ 



SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
1921 



m -4 1921 



g)C!,A627086 






"The Child is ah-eady intensely active and the question 
of education is the question of taking hold of his activities, of 
giving them direction. Through direction, through organized 
use, they tend toward valuable results instead of scattering or 
being left to merely impulsive expression". 

John Dewey in "The School and Society", p. 54. 



A Foreword, 

This course of study is intended to stimulate the thought 
and broaden the practice of the teachers of httle children in the 
Seattle schools. It will assist greatly those teachers who address 
themselves studiously to the task of appreciating the needs of 
developing children and of accommodating their treatment to 
those needs. 

Educational needs change with the hours and with moods. 
There are not many lessons that can be harnessed to a routine in 
the earlier stages of teaching, if enrichment is to result. 

Teachers are requested to try out the suggestions in this 
manual only according to their ability to make use of the sugges- 
tions fortunately for the children. Whenever the way outlined here 
does not appear to suit the teacher's individual power, her own 
best way should be used. 

— Frank B. Cooper. 



To Teachers and Principals : 

To many of 3^011, this program of activities presents a natural 
way of work, for your own teaching has long included the uti- 
lization of all that is good in children's natural interests and ca- 
pacities. Reports of your work have furnished the data for this 
course of study. To another large group, the plan of work will 
seem possible and desirable. You believe in its underlying 
philosophy and have been trying out its implications. Your 
questions and reactions, your solving of difficulties have con- 
tributed also to this formulation. To a third group, this maj^ seem 
not your way of working. Your reactions as given in the Report 
on the Course of Study have also been a help and have lead to 
the effort to outline more definitely the proposed plan. This 
is not an iron clad way of procedure to be adopted by each in- 
dividual whether or not he believes in it and finds it suited to 
his powers. Each one of us must work in his own way. It is 
better to travel surely along the well known road than fall by 
the way on the unfamiliar path — but the new way may offer new 
and keener delights and a higher type of results in the contact 
between child mind and teacher mind if once we free ourselves 
to look at each day's teaching as a fresh opportunity for leading 
a group of little children to a clearer understanding of their sur- 
roundings and a keener zest in doing worth while things. We 
do not know what children are capable of doing for themselves 
under wise guidance. You are urged not to see the newer way 
as a "Closed Road'' until j^ou have secured from the office all 
it can give in the way of conference, suggestions for study and 
demonstration teaching. 



CONTENTS 

I. Introduction 

II. Basis for Classification of Activities 

III. Basis for Selection of Activities 

IV. A List of Activities for the Kindergarten and First Grade. 

V. Illustrative Descriptions of the Day's Work in Kinder- 
gartens and First Grades 

VI. A List of Activities for the Second Grade 

VII. Illustrative Description of the Day's Work in a Second 
Grade 

VIII. A List of Activities for the Third Grade 

IX. Illustrative Description of the Day's Work in a Third 
Grade 

X. The Day's Program 

XI. The Free Period and Individual Projects 



INTRODUCTION 

Since the days of the caveman the natural method of learning 
has been that of "sharing activities". In the good home and in 
the good school conditions are so arranged that a child learns 
through his own thinking, feeling and doing under the wise guid- 
ance of those who see in their own needs as adults the end to be 
attained in the learning. A child takes on the tastes, attitudes 
and ideals of his little group. His valued ideas are the valued 
ideas of his associates. He esteems worth while the skills they 
attain. This suggested program of activities is based on many 
studies of children's instinctive interests and their relation to 
socially useful habits. Observations of the day's work and play 
of the six-year-old or the eight year-old in the good home, reports 
from many children as to how they spend their Saturdays and 
Sundays all point to the universality of certain socially useful 
activities among children of different ages. The purpose of 
elementary education in the words of Dr. Meriam is "To help 
boys and girls do better in all those wholesome activities in which 
they normally engage." (l) 

Points of Emphasis in this Course of Study 

Today few courses of study for the elementary grades ignore 
the instinctive interests and capacities for as Parker says, "Util- 
izing children's interests is a business proposition, not a matter 
of sentiment". (2) Butt he usual course of study states its program 
in terms of the separate subjects and ignores the fact that knowl- 
edge of facts useful in living must come through participation 
in socially useful activities. The stress comes on achievement 
in subject matter and not on the provision for opportunities for 
growth in knowledge, skills and right attitudes. This course of 
study represents an endeavor to present a program of activities 

1 Meriam— Child Life and the Curriculum. Chap. VIII. 

2 Parker — General Methods of Teaching in Elementary Schools. 

p. 205. 

5 



through which needed ideals, attitudes, skills and knowledge 
may be attained. Demonstrations of the working possibilities 
of this point of view are not lacking in many schools in the country 
and in many school rooms of our own city. All activities suggested 
have been tried out in our own schools. Reports of woi'k accom- 
plished have provided the text given in this outline. 

Attitude of Teachers Attempting This Type of Work 

The question, "What portions, if any, of the present printed 
course of study are you unable to teach through the utilization 
of the children's activities?" was included in the supplementary 
Report on the Course of Study for 1921. The majority of teachers 
answered, "None". The following replies are of special interest. 

"I will be able to teach the entire course of study through 
the utilization of activities. However the children I have this 
year are bright and I doubt if I could carry on as much of this 
kind of work with slower pupils. But I think the slower ones need 
it most." 

"I do not feel competent to answer this question as I have 
only covered three months of the work and have only attempted 
a part of this through the activities of the children. I do think, 
however, that more and more of the coui'se can be accomplished 
in this way as teachers and pupils become adjusted to the new 
methods." 

"If I may call the struggle to attain a fair writing hand and 
the learning to connect letters properly an activity, I am sure we 
use the children's activities in each and every part of our work." 

The Need Still Exists For the Outline Giving Diagnosis of 
Difficulties and Discussing the Technique of Teaching 

Parallel with our progress in a better understanding of the 
need of the curriculum organized from the social point of view- 
is the progress in the scientific analysis of the learning process. 
The analysis of children's difficulties through the use of standard- 



ized tests and scientifically planned remedial work will help in 
the economy of time, thus setting us free for bringing into the 
Uves of children richer experiences. 

Technical outlines including the diagnoses of common dif- 
ficulties and the setting up of definite standards are needed and 
will be provided as soon as possible. These will be similar in 
character to the Bulletin on Spelling, the Outline for Hygiene, 
and the Course of Study in Language. 

Adaptation of Work to Special Conditions 

Another point recognized is the need of adaptation of work 
to particular situations. No list of activities will give just the ones 
which your class needs. No one is expected to engage in all the 
activities suggested. A choice should he made. One needs at fre- 
quently recurring intervals to make with the children a survey of 
their out-of -school lives. "What are these children needing to do, 
wanting to do, trying to do? How can I use their lesson time to 
help them do them better?" If their lives are bare and empty, 
they need most the rich experiences,~the excursion, the story 
the beautiful poem, the tale of a happy childhood, the social ex- 
perience of giving a party, the chance to do something socially 
useful. This will be the starting point for careful writing, hard 
work in reading, self drill in spelling and arithmetic, earnest 
effort for gaining better health habits. This outline stresses 
the human side of our work. We need to put our purposes before 
us in human every day, untechnical terms. We can then work 
out definite standards of attainment in technique and know 
what degree of skill to work for in drills when once we have this 
social point of view. 

These Activities, the Course of Study 

These activities are not to be added to the course of study. 
They are the course of studij, a course in thinking, planning, execut- 
ing and judging with the warmth of personal desire the result of 



our efforts. Anj^ subject in any course of study was originally 
found in the human needs of every day action. This subject 
matter in many cases became isolated, unconnected, unrelated 
and even when memorized did not prove of use when a real need 
for its use came. We must learn slowly through continued 
repetition of the actual kind of useful situation in which we shall 
need to act in the future. The child who today is helped to do 
as well as he may the good thing he desires to do, with the in- 
spiration of the work of his companion toward a higher desire, 
will continue to be a growingly useful child and become an in- 
creasingly useful man. 



BASIS FOR CLASSIFICATION OF ACTIVITIES 

In "The Elementary School Curriculum" Dr. Bonser suggests 
as a basis for judging the worth of any activity its value in satis- 
fying the great fundamental ends of conduct. His four big types 
of human activity offer a working basis for the classification of 
children's activities and their possible direction toward worthy 
outcomes. 

1. Activities for Maintaining Life and Health. 

This involves with a child the chance to learn health habits 
through actual practice of right bodily habits, opportunities 
for establishing habits of joyous healthful exercise, practice in 
choosing right foods in the cafeteria, helping in the Health Cam- 
paign to strengthen his own ideals of good conduct. He needs 
a chance for active investigation of the food provisioning, clothes 
making and shelter building in his own neighborhood, as related 
to the health needs of himself and his neighbors. He must see 
his own responsibility for wearing his rubbers, cleaning his shoes, 
using his handkerchief, and keeping the schoolroom clean. 

II. Practical Activities and the Means of their Pursuit. 

The street scene must be interpreted to the child. He must 
know and appreciate what his mother's work means to him of 
comfort and health; he must feel his responsibility for filling the 
wood-box or keeping his shoes clean. His father's need for reading, 
writing and arithmetic makes clear to him the necessity for his 
work in conquering those tools of common communication. 
The boats on the Sound must mean to him the carrying trade of 
the Northwest. Each tool must come to mean the story of some 
Tree-dweller of long ago hard at work getting his root dinner. 
More and more we see the necessity for offering to a child to sat- 
isfy his growing needs the opportvmity for experimental use 
of the tools his social inheritance has provided. To the pen and 
the pencil, have been added the scissors, the hammer and saw, 
the typewriter, the printing press, the carriers in the shape of 

9 



wheelbarrow and cart, -all symbols of progress and typical of life's 
industry. The representation of the street in front of the school 
house, in sandtable or poster, interprets the work of the neighbor- 
hood. 

III. Civic and Other Regulative Activities. 

The children's share in the home work and play, the working 
on committees to keep playground and hall clean, the parti- 
cipation in assemblies, the uniting in the making of a class record 
of local history stories, the care of materials in the room, the ex- 
cursion around the school building to see all the workers, the trip 
to the library to get library cards, the buying of stamps at the 
post office, the tracing of the story of the breakfast orange from 
its home in California, through the hands of all the workers till 
it reaches us ; watching of the nearby house building, with a record- 
ing of all the men who helped in its progress toward a home; 
making scrap books on different subjects of child interest with 
exchange of treasures; helping each other with wisdom in work 
for individual or the group; making their own regulations under 
guidance, in the effort to meet common needs of their school room 
community; teaching each other games. All these lead to an 
appreciation of the need for working together with needed rules 
for guidance. 

IV. Recreational Activities- The Use of Leisure. 

The right use of leisure justifies our provision of opportun- 
ities for engaging in right sources of pleasure. This has many 
phases; hearing the Victrola, studying the color in the flowers, 
trying to express its beauty; running, jumping, skippimg; joining 
in activities which bring the delights of companionship, — parties, 
plays, clubs, contests, visits to other children; dramatic play in 
reading, literature or history; investigating special interests; 
making collections of pictures, stamps, books; leisure occupations — 
making gardens, making toj'S. 

10 



These ends of life conduct are not to be separated by anj^ 
sharp hne. An activity maj^ often fall under all of the four heads. 
The activity socially useful in the highest degree will contribute 
in many ways. The analysis of one activity, a trip around the 
school building and grounds to be taken by first or second grade 
children illustrates the many sidedness of any worth while activity. 

Analysis of a Project Suited to the First or Second Grade. 

Not all these lessons would be carried out with any one group. 
The work might extend over several weeks. Other projects 
might be under way at the same time. It would probably not 
be possible to include all the necessary work in all subjects under 
any one project, but much of it can be thus organized. 

P/^OJ^Cr— A SERIES OF TRIPS TO BECOME ACQUAINT- 
ED WITH "OUR SCHOOL" 
SCHOOL LESSONS WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THESE 

TRIPS 

American Ideals and Citizenship — A dawning consciousness 
of the school as a community of workers. The principal, the 
teachers, the nvu'se, the janitor, the children of all ages. An idea 
of all the resources of the school, the office, the bookroom, the shop, 
the cooking room, the engine room, the play I'ooms, the class 
rooms, the bulletin board, the cafeteria. 

An inceptive idea of all the relationships involved, — the city, 
the meaning of the flag, the cost of all that is provided, — the re- 
sponsibility for care of the equipment by all the children. 

The provision for right attitudes on the part of the little 
children to their big brothers and sisters of the school. 

Language — Discussion of the trip before taking it. Questions 
asked and answered on the trip. 

Free conversation during the trip. 

Composing a story of the trip for mother. 

Dramatic play representing activities of all the workers ob- 
served. 

Physical Education and Hygiene — The responsibility of the 

11 



children for the care of cloak rooms, wash basins, toilets,- — all 
the means provided for keeping clean. 

Marching, running, skipping; suggested ways of movement 
appropriate at different times. 

Representation of School activities in rhythmic games. 

Instruction in choice of food in the lunch rooms, the value 
of milk, etc. 

Reading — Associating experience with story written on 
blackboard by teacher. Mimeographed copy to take home to 
mother. 

Chart showing large cutting of school with flag. Charts 
showing rooms with names printed underneath. Charts showing 
workers with names printed underneath. 

Reading puzzles impressing words. 

Looking for stories of children going to school. These should 
be read by the teacher to beginners. 

Handwork — Free illustration of "our walk", revealing what 
impressed children most. 

Freehand cutting of "our school" for the chart. Building 
school house with blocks. 

Making booklet "our school", — or cardboard construction 
in the sandtable. 

Charts showing "What children do at school". 

Chart showing "Who built our school". 

"In using as the chief and leading activities of the school 
curriculum these life projects, whose value the children at once 
appreciate, and in which they engage with enthusiasm, the need 
for the various means or tools used in carrying on these interests is 
literally/orce(/Mpor?J/iew?.,not by the teachers, but by the situa- 
tions." The Elementary School Curriculum — F. G. Bonser. 
Chapter III. 



12 



BASIS FOR SELECTION OF ACTIVITIES 
FROM THE LIST SUGGESTED FOR EACH GRADE 

I. Select the activity which appeals most directly to the interests 

and capacities of the group, provided it leads on to other 
activities socially valuable for children of that age; e. g., 
the building of a representation of "our neighborhood" with 
blocks would lead to a greater variety of useful activities 
than the continued bouncing of a ball. The development of 
the child physically and mentally determines the value to 
him of the ball boimcing. 

II. That activity should be chosen which will continue to meet 
needs as the child develops. The writing of letters will 
always be a socially useful activit}*. 

III. Choose the activity which under your conditions offers 
greatest opportunity for the teaching of needed tastes, at- 
titudes, habits, skills and knowledge. The discriminating 
teacher-leader will keep a wise balance between different 
types of activities. One week's work may offer large oppor- 
tunities in the direction of speech 'training,another give the 
chance to show up weaknesses and strength in arithmetic 
and expose the need for necessary drill in subtraction on 
the part of some children. One day's work may be largely 
in groups, the next may give time to individual effort to 
make up deficiencies. A trip to the grocery store may give 
the experience needed for a month's work in all the different 
lines. The keeping of a diary through the year may furnish 
the main line of effort in third grade written composition. 
Making a history of Seattle may furnish the substance of 
a term's work in the "Third B" in History, Geography, Oral 
and Written Language, Hygiene (the development of the 
sanitary regulations of city life), determine largely the Spelling 
and give some problems in Arithmetic. Too many activities 
should not be attempted A few carefully chosen projects followed 
up persistently with care as to execution and the attempt to get 

13 



all the possible values in the way of growth in ideals of work, 
worth while tastes, skill in technique and the acquisition of 
useful facts must he our constant objective. There is fnuch dan- 
ger of scattered effort and groivth of lax habits of thinking 
and working unless we check up our progress constantly with 
the standards of attainment set up in our outlines of subject 
matter. One big project at a time, with attention to minor ones 
which arise from unexpected yet valuable aroused interests, 
is probably the best plan of work. 

IV. The activities must be progressive from day to day and from 
grade to grade. The child stringing beads at the end of the 
kindergarten year, the first grade child still cutting out 
hectographed outlines in June, the second grade child unable 
to read the new material with ease, the third grade child 
unable to keep himself well occupied, is not progressing. 
The time for free choice of work is the test of our leadership. 
The self chosen work should increasingly make demands on 
all the powers a child possesses. 



14 



THE KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE 

CURRICULUM IN TERMS OF CHILDREN'S 

ACTIVITIES 

The Kindergarten Curriculum, published as Bulletin 1919 
No 16 of the Bureau of Education, presents most clearly the point 
of view stated in the Introduction. The outline there given is 
well based in its psychological point of view, and the material 
there presented is not included in this Manual, for the Bulletin 
is supplied to all Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers. 

For both the Kindergarten and the First grade the immedi- 
ate surroundings, the experiences which we may make sure every 
child has had, furnish the situation in which the activities naturally 
arise. As the child matures from kindergarten into first grade 
desires and necessities, he demands books, desires to learn to read 
and naturally feels more and more the value of the tool subjects. 
The kindergarten and first grade may well develop the possible 
richness of the immediate environment. We are apt to try to 
push children into experiences for which they have no need. 
The periods for free Work and Play in the Kindergarten offer 
opportunity for study of children's interests, the wealth or barren- 
ness of their experiences, and suggest our lines of effort in arranging 
profitable stimulus in the way of equipment and suggested ac- 
tivities. Always the teacher, as the mother in the home, is the 
one who saves the activity from remaining on a low plane and 
helps to lead desires into new and useful channels. 

In schools having the kindergarten, a report of the year's 
activities is filed with the principal at the end of each year. This 
is to be used by the first grade teacher. The first grade work 
builds on that of the kindergarten. Activities stressed in the 
kindergarten should not be repeated in the first grade unless 
there is evident the possibility of new richness in the situation 
because of the children's growing maturity. 

I. Activities which tend to ivard the Maintenance of Life and Health. 

15 



Health inspection each day by the children with the teacher. 
Those showing improvement may be added to the group 
of inspectors. 

Being weighed by the nurse. Trying to gain or lose in weight 
by following the nurse's directions as to eating and sleep- 
ing. 

Practice in personal habits of cleanliness of living, — use of 
pencils, washing hands after going to the toilet or before 
lunch. 

Out-of-door play, — free play, organized games, rhythmic 
games. 

Dressing to suit the weather with a sense of personal re- 
sponsibility for wearing rubbers. 

Helping to keep room and grounds clean. 

Making simple Community Health Charts as the important 
health habits are brought out by the teacher. 

Formulating their own health Rules. These may be given 
them to take home. 

Making a Class Room Health Book with pictures. The 
children give titles for each picture and the name is 
written or printed underneath in large form by the 
teacher. 

First grade children may print their own titles on Health 
Charts,— the teacher writing the difficult words on the 
board or on the paper. 

Making booklets which show clothing for different seasons. 
The teacher in the kindergarten or child in first grade 
supply titles. 

The first grade may make a Health A. B.C. Book or give 
a Health Parade with banners, showing health chores. 

Dressing their dolls to suit the season. 

Finding pictures showing "Good Posture" of little children 

for posters. 
Participation in assemblies dealing with health habits. 
Playing cafeteria, making cardboard trays with proper picture 

lunches mounted upon them. 

16 



In Home Play, placing great stress on the hj^gienic conditions 

of the kitchen and bathroom. 
Dramatizing home situations involving attention to hygiene, — 

getting ready for bed, getting up in the morning, getting 

ready for dinner. 
Learning Health rhymes. 
In first grade making and reading records of Health Program; 

II. Activities which tend to practical efficiency in everyday matters. 

Caring for one's own belongings, — hanging wraps on labelled 
hooks, taking care of rubbers, taking care of his own 
pencils, books, paper. 

Sharing in the care of the room, helping clean up, helping 
arrange materials. 

Attempts at suppljang one's own needs, — painting a box for 
his blocks, making sheets and pillow cases for the doll- 
bed, making doll pillows from Christmas tree needles, 
making May baskets and Easter baskets, clay dishes 
for the playhouse, making and dressing paper dolls. 

Collecting and bringing material from home for school use. 

Sharing in real .-home experiences, — making jelty, butter, 
flour by grinding grain. 

Home Play — In the Kindergarten — perhaps more of direct 
dramatization. In the first grade the children enjoy 
the representative play, making the doll house, doll 
theatre play. All these activities tend toward interest 
in the practical affairs of life. The Jo-Boy story or 
Bobby and Bett}'^ book may serve as the outline. A 
nearby house in building should give the chance for 
first hand observation. The first grade children vciox 
do more for themselves. The desire to make everything 
just as it is in the real home will lead to much of close 
observation. Play material maj' well be used in the 
kindergarten to supplement what the children make. 
In the first grade house play, the articles, if possible, 
should be made by the children. 

17 



Activities leading to control of the tools of life. 

Making records of trips, important events in kindergarten 
or first grade bj^ the use of pictures and stories composed 
with the teacher. 

Telling stories of experiences using pictures or objects so that 
others will understand and enjoy them. 

Directing others in games. 

Keeping records in first grade of books read, poems loved, 
songs sung. 

Printing labels and signs for desks, sandtables or dramatic 
play. 

Drilling as individuals or groups in first grade on hard sounds, 
difficult words and phrases to increase speed in reading. 

Drilling each other in first grade on quick silent reading 
and quick response to questions on the interests of chil- 
dren of this group, — the members of their family, what 
the carpenter does for us, why we like the postman? 

Taking vocabulary tests, speed tests and comprehension tests 
in reading and trying to improve one's record. 

Drawing plans for doll house. 

Keeping records in the first grade of the progress in individual 
reading in pleasure readers. 

Making word and phrase books. 

Making plans for the day's work so that they can keep them- 
selves busy. 

Keeping an All-the-year-Round Book for their mothers, 
with the material dated to show progress. 

In the first grade, composing, reading, sometimes printing 
and illustrating the "Daily" or "Weekly News", giving 
the important items of Kfe in the first grade. This may 
be written on the blackboard, printed on a chart, hecto- 
graphed, mimeographed or printed. 

Making, in the first grade, their own reading book composed 
of stories of their experiences, printed by older boys and 
illustrated by the children. 

18 



III. Activities which tend toward cooperation and regulative 

measures needed in every day hfe. 

Taking walks around the building to see the principal's office, 
the book room, the janitor at work for the good of the 
children, the furnace room, the shop with the boys at 
work on "our blocks" or "our wheelbarrow". 

Forming Housekeeper's Club to care for the room. 

Cooperating in entertaining other rooms with the planning 
in the hands of the children, lead by the teacher, — concerts, 
giving a play, a reading party, the recitation of favorite 
poems, playing games, a Hallowe'en party, an 
Easter Egg Hunt, a Christmas party for the baby 
brothers and sisters, a spring party for the next year 
kindergarten children, apple and cookie parties, 
birthday parties. 

Participating in all-school assemblies devoted to any subject 

they are capable of understandng, — patriotic occasions, 

Clean-up Week, Safety Week. 
Participating in Primary assemblies of two or more rooms 

once a week with the program coming out of the every 

day work. 

Cooperative building with blocks in small groups of any 
objects of interest, suggested by their surroundings, — 
the school-house, homes, ships, bridges, automobiles, 
library, stores, garages, whole towns. 

Cooperative play projects, — keeping house, playing store, 
giving a party, going visiting, going away for a trip, 
with the preparation of material needed for the play. 

Making things for each other, for the principal, for the nurse, 
for classmates who are ill, clay candlesticks, or a tiny 
flower pot for mother 

Participation in very simple festivities once or twice a year, com- 
posed of favorite songs, rhythms and dramatizations, — 
a Christmas festival or a Spring festival. Little children 
should not be forced into show performances nor try 
to celebrate all the hoHdays. The simplest homefesti- 

19 



vals suggest the type of festivals to be developed in 
the kindergarten and first grade. Every child doing 
something he can do happily in the effort to make others 
happy is the ideal to be kept in mind. 

Discussing ethical questions regarding conduct in the school- 
room, on the playground, in the streets and at home, 
with emphasis on the responsibility for practical use 
of decisions. 

Making cooperative })ictures on any subject of interest, — 
"Keeping Our School-yard Beautiful". "Feeding the 
Birds", "Our Home", "Our Family", a water picture. 
These may be done in pictures cut from magazines, 
free hand cutting or drawing. 

Building and furnishing a house, reading from books like 
"Bobby and Betty at Home", "Little Kingdom Reader", 
or "Work-a-Day Doings" after having had similar ex- 
perience in cooperation themselves. 

Participation in first grade club meetings in which the school 
room is discussed and plans made. 

IV. Activitief! which tend toward the wise use of leisure. 

a. Spontaneous physical activities. 

Periods for free play. 

Stimulating running, skipping, jumping b,y music. 

Simple rhythmic games and dances. 

The very simplest of folk dancing. 

b. Activities which cultivate sense enjoyment in wise ways. 
Sense games suited to the age of the child. 

Collecting leaves, flowers, stones to enjoy their color, 

smoothness, beautiful form. 
Visiting flower collections at the greenhouse whenever 

one is hear, going to see Mary's mother's rose garden, 

Elaine's cherry tree in bloom, father's dahlias. 
Keeping a Record Book of "Our Tree" with its picture 

and histoi'y at different seasons. 
Flying kites, playing with i^inwheels, walking on the 

20 



hill top on a windy day, recalling wind poems and 

stories. 
Bird and Flower Clubs. 
Making a story music book, of pictures to illustrate 

favorite songs and musical selections played on 

the piano or heard on the victrola. 
Giving a Hallowe'en Party. 
Making in clay representations of articles of interest 

to the children. 
Taking part in the kindergarten band. 
Taking part in chorus singing. 
Changing with the change of seasons the seasonal picture 

on the blackboard, incorporating into this picture 

the beauty side of the immediate surroundings. 
Taking a walk to enjoy the sunshine after many daj^s of 

rain. 
Taking walks to smell the Balm o'Gilead, sweet clover, 

June pinks, carnations. 
Listening for calls of birds. 

c. Social Activities- 
Parties with another room. Mother's and Father's Christ- 
mas Party, a once a month party of cookies 
and apples, a Thanksgiving party with nuts and 
apples, an Easter egg hunt, birthday parties for which 
mothers sometimes provide refreshments, a soap- 
bubble party out of doors, a Next Year's Kindergarten 
party for the next j^ear's kindergarten children, visit- 
ing on invitation, and singing for a grandmother who 
could not come to school. Visiting children who 
are confined at home for a long time (great care 
must be exercised to avoid contagious diseases). 
One group made a dooryard visit, leaving a little 
gift on the doorstep and playing a game outside 
the window of the sick child. An End-of -the- Year 
Picnic with children helping to plan the entertain- 
ment. A doll party for dolls made in the school. 



21 



Activities which tend to habits of intellectual enjoyment 
of history or drama. 

Reading by the teacher to the children books which 
give vivid pictures of child life. 

Dramatizing of simple situations,- — meeting my teacher, 
saying good-bye to mother, bringing father his 
paper, presenting a little friend with a rose, hav- 
ing good news to tell. 

Dramatizing favorite stories, poems and songs. 

Giving simple puppet shows. 

Making and use of simple properties for use in dramat- 
ic play. 

Making toy theatre presentation of favorite tale, — 
"The Shoemaker and the Elves". 

Making sandtable representations of farailar situations, 
favorite stories or poems, a Christmas sandta})le, 
Santa Claus land, the Jo-Boy story changing from 
day to day, Bobby and Betty's home, the Three 
Bear house, the adventures of Peter Rabbit, a 
Lolly -pop tree, in Brownie Land. 

A simple Spring Festival based on songs, rhythms, 
dances, stories, giving form to the children's joy, 
in I'etuj'H of flowers, birds and bees. 

Activities which tend toward investigation of special 
subjects of interest. 

Planning Bird and Flower Festivals. 

Listening to bird talks with pictures. 

Feeding birds in winter, feeding the pigeons near the 
school. 

Excursion.s to see pigeons, birds, ducks, chickens, guinea 
pigs, pet dogs and cats, rabbits, a cow. Jack's pony, 
to get tadpoles, to see the lilac bush in summer 
and in winter, to gather flowers for the May baskets, 
visiting flower gardens at planting and blossom time, 
trips around the block at different seasons of the 



22 



year to note the seasonal changes. 
Making a sandtable farm after a visit to the farm. 
Making individual representations of "Our Yard and 

Garden". 
Making books on subjects of special interest, — A Baby 

Book, a Home Book, a Boy and Girl Book, A Dog 

or Cat Book, A Flower Book, A Mother Goose 

Book. 
Hunting through readers in first grade for dog stories, 

cat stories, poems about the out-of-doors. 
Going to the library to get books for the room. 
Kindergarten children make books to carry with them 

to the fii'st grade where they will be utilized in 

connection with beginning reading. 

Art Activities — Creation of beauty or attempts to express 
appreciation of beauty. 

Learning to know the pictures in the building which five 
and six year olds can understand. 

Collecting pictures presenting beautiful phases of fa- 
miliar things, — home-life, familiar animals, beautiful 
common objects. 

Collecting and arranging pictures which will illustrate 
favorite stories, songs or poems. 

Making collections of penny prints of favorite pictures. 

Arranging flowers brought to school by teacher and 
children with attention to beauty of hne and color 
presented by example and simple words. 

Helping in simple decorative schemes for special oc- 
casions and going to see beautiful decorations in 
store windows. 

Walks to the hill top to see the beautiful picture of the 
valley below, the sound with its boats, the lake, 
the bridges, the blossoming orchards, the mountains. 

Making color books showing colors and the flowers or 
fruits in which we find them. 



23 



A DAY'S SESSION IN A KINDERGARTEN 
REPORT NO. 1. 

The following description of "A Day's Work" in a kinder- 
garten is valuable because it suggests the utilization in such a 
meaningful way of the children's activities. It is an ideal which 
few days would bring forth but it helps us see how a child-made 
program may be a profitable possibility. This kind of a morning 
would come hut seldom. Generally in this kindergarten directed 
work alternates with chosen occupation. 

"The chairs were not set in a circle for two reasons. First, 
the room is small and the open space was needed for the children's 
different activities, and secondly, the teacher wished to leave the 
children free from any suggestion of formality until later in the 
morning. 

As the children came in they gave some form of greeting. 
Several little girls came in at the same time. After saying good 
morning one little girl said, "I am going to do some work." A 
second child said, "Why, we work all day!" Then they went to 
their cupboard space and took out the things they needed, — 
scissors, crayon, and what paper had been left from the day before. 
Two little girls began to finish sewing the books they had started 
to sew the day before, and spent some time drawing in them. 
One little girl drew a chair to the cupboard, helped herself to some 
pieces of paper and supplied herself with paints. A little boy 
joined her and they worked for two hours. At the end of that time 
the little girl had a complete house made in a circular form, a door 
and barred windows. Inside were two rugs, a chair, a table with 
a pink cover, a victrola with two red seal records, and a paper 
doll with a tissue paper hat with a feather. The boy had made 
a playground containing a flower garden, a sand box with a stand- 
ing screen, and a slide with a paper doll sliding down. 

Another child asked for some of the "best" paper, and said 
she would make a "beautifulest" paper doll to put in the cup- 
board. She made a doll with hair beautifully dressed, earrings, 
a bunch of flowers in one hand, and a fan in the other, and five 
different dresses and hats. 

24 



One. boy kept bringing to the teacher pieces of fancy cutting. 
She was reading to a group from a bird book brought as the out- 
come of a talk the day before. The teacher at last said in a joking 
way, "Now I am covered warmly with this lovely spread and I'll 
have this for a hat!" The child ran off laughing and in time 
brought back a hat that was truly delightful, even to a feather 
on the side. The construction was a combination of two articles 
previously made. He needed a little help because he had cut 
the head piece too large. Another boy imitated this hat. 

One boy built an aeroplane and took some children to ride. 
He oiled it with sand. The teacher pointed out the fact that 
the sand would be in the other people's way. She gave them 
plasticene to make oil cans. (The sand was swept up). Two 
little girls played dolls with a doll carriage and a set of paper 
bakery pictures. They did a wash and carried out a complete 
cycle of activities during an hour and a half. The boy who built 
the aeroplane listened to a story the teacher told to a small group 
and then washed a blackboard. 

A group at the sand table played a long time with a blue 
bottle for a cannon and a tin can for the light in the lighthouse, 
some stones and a little boat. This same group played in the 
water box for awhile and then took the clay. A group of boys 
in the hall took the blocks, two large dry goods boxes and carried 
on a game. One box was an aeroplane and they nailed a small 
set of wagon wheels on the edge of the box for steamer wheels. 
They put on coats, hats, and borrowed the gauntlet gloves of 
some other boys and apparently had thrilling adventures. The 
other group of boys built a dock, used a Christmas tree stand and 
a wheel on a stick for a lighthouse. They put a little broom through 
the knot-hole in the box for a rudder. The skipping rope with 
wooden handles was used for a telephone, the corn popper for 
catching fish. One boy played outside and put a block in the 
popper for a fish. One girl played in this group. 

Eighteen of the children worked continuously at the thing 
they first chose. The others changed several times, but kept 
themselves busy and happy. 

This particular morning there was no conflict to be settled, 

25 



therefore the teacher read to two different groups, went from 
group to group to play and talk, rode in the aeroplane, talked 
through the telephone, and visited the doll house. When the 
children were called by the piano one little girl said, "Why, do we 
have to go so soon!" 

REPORT NO. 2. 

The second report of one day's session comes from a school 
made up largely of foreign children. It is suggestive in itse mphasis 
on the possibihties of the kindergarten as an Americanization 
agency Here the school provides the experience of a lunch for 
these little children in the effort to establish certain desirable 
attitudes and habits. Morning talks on behavior would fall 
far short of establishing the habits for which the participation in 
the actual activity provides. 

'Tattering feet in the hall, — "Oh Miss, the sewer bust!" 
and I looked down into the snapping black eyes of a half dozen 
small Italians, — and the afternoon session had opened at . 

Coats hung up, shoes changed amid much discussion of the 
digging in front of the school, and for nearly an hour the sewer 
was dug in sand, was laid (rows of blocks), breathlessly covered, 
dug up, relaid in a new way and so on. 

As each child enters he greets the teacher, hangs up hat, 
coat and changes his shoes, putting on tennis shoes or sandals 
he has previously brought and keeps in his own locker. This 
locker has his name on it and contains his paints, crayons, shoes, 
work to be finished, and holds also many childish treasures which 
small children are forever bringing to school. When shoes are 
changed he goes at once to his work, or he may play about the room. 
Jack, who for two weeks has been weaving a red hammock, is now 
making a hammock stand, and today is painting it red. After 
being shown how to hold and clean his brush he is left alone. 

Two children made doilies for lunch, cutting circles and 
painting them. Four little girls started playing "squares" with 
an 8" rubber ball. Two soon stopped and went to weaving; 

26 



the other two played until called to their work by teacher. Six 
children got clay boards, went to the jar and helped themselves, 
then found chairs and went to work. Two went to work as soon as 
they came in; the others walked around and visited before getting 
to work. One child made a clay frog; all the others made bird's 
nests, one adding robins. One boy, after working twenty min- 
utes on the "sewer gang"got out material to stain his bird house. 
One boy with the help of another made an inch and a half hole 
in the front of his bird house for a door. Three children played 
in the doll house, one spending most of her time playing on the 
to}^ piano and singing from the Peter Rabbit book. 

In the forty five minutes of Free Work and Play, the teacher 
had to speak to two children about getting to work, and to settle 
one near-fight (both boys being under-fed, neurotic and temper- 
amental) . 

A chord from the piano set everj^ child to cleaning up the 
room. Everything was put away, the dust mop, and dust cloths 
brought out and used. Another chord brought the children to 
a circle where they began a brisk march, ended in a run and then 
gathered around the piano to sing songs. 

Then seated on the floor, the}' had fifteen or twent}^ minutes 
of rhythmic work, the main object of which was to teach them to 
listen to good music and to interpret what they heard. 

Someone opened the doors and got out the paper towels. 
"Girls first" washed their hands for lunch. A "good citizen" 
passed the doilies, the milk and graham crackers. The milk is 
brought to the tables in sherbet cups by the domestic science 
girls. The first principles of order, good habits, table manners, 
politeness and manj^ invaluable courtesies are socially learned. At 
this time we talk of what we saw coming to school, social happen- 
ings, home life, hj^giene, and cleanliness. After lunch each child 
rests with his head on his arms. 

After rest comes dramatic work. With these foreign children 
this is based on social situations, short nursery rhymes, or a dearly 
beloved story such as "The Three Bears". After a talk of work 
accomplished or some definite subject I wish to bring up, the 

27 



session ends with a stoiy. Today it was "The Baby Robin that 
Fell out of its Nest". 

Shoes are changed, the room straightened for "those morning 
class children" (as they are called), we sing a good-bj^e song, give 
a handshake and personal good-bye to each one, and with a hand- 
wave to the last pair of black eyes around the corner, the day 
closes". 

REPORT NO. 3. 

The third program suggests the value of careful provision 
for different forms of activity with stress on the activities working 
towards cooperation, the watchfully stimulating attitude of the 
leader and the utilization of the child interest in May baskets 
leading to the excursion for flowers and their study. 

The children come into the kindergarten, the boj's removing 
hats at the door, and hang up their wraps. I always try to be 
near the door to greet each child with a word or smile as he comes 
in, and they know they are free to get anything in the room with 
which they want to work or play They remain at their free choice 
work until 9:30. Various things are done during this period. 
Some are building houses, boats, trains, or city buildings on the 
floor. Others are making Woodland Park in the sandtable, 
using tiny animals, little flags, flowers and little trees, and a lid 
filled with water for the lake. Two boys are drawing at the table, 
making pictures of home and its surroundings. The trees were 
in blossom, the flowers blooming, dadd}- had his garage, and 
there was an aeroplane in the sky. 

The girls are nearly all making paper doll clothes today. 
They have each brought a box from home which is to be dollie's 
trunk and they are cutting their own dresses and hats and coats 
and trimming them elaborately. They choose whatever paper 
they wish, but I have asked them to be careful dressmakers, 
telling them the harm of wastefulness. 

Usually the girls would not be all doing the same thing, 
but the doll clothes idea is a new one just now and very popular. 

The free period comes to a close with a piano chord. Some 
children put their work away quickly and quietly, while some 

28 



are slow, and others noisy, ilie boys try to sweep the sand from 
the floor, and in all it takes about ten minutes to get everything 
in its right place. Everybody must help and during the 
clean-up I do much suggesting. We usually sit quietly and 
listen for ten minutes to a Victrola selection after this. One 
which I like and the children enjoj- is the "Nightingale." 

After the victrola music, we came to the circle for our singing . 
We had Spring songs today, "Bluebird," "Robin Redbreast," 
"Woodpecker", and "Black Crow,". We gathered around the 
piano and listened to a new "Robin" song, and talked about the 
robin, and then all flew to our places and played a little bird game. 

After the bird game, we had a little hand plaj?^, North, South, 
East and West. The children can nearly all now point correcth^ 
in the different directions, and can all distinguish between their 
right and left hands. 

Next we had our story, "Fleet Wing and Sweet Voice", by 
Maud Lindsay. We sat in a little group on the floor and all 
were quiet during the story. After the story we all went to the 
basement, then came back for a five minute rest period. During 
the rest period we again had quiet victrola music. 

We then all made May Baskets and tomorrow we will go 
out to gather flowers for our baskets. The children who fin- 
ished their baskets first, put their things away, and came to the 
circle for a game. We played "Skip-tag," and "Little Dog," 
and each child joined in the games as soon as his May Basket 
was finished. We were at our games until time to go home when 
all put on their wraps and we had our good-bye song at the door." 



29 



REPORT NO. 4. 

The fourth program is an excellent illustration of the way 
in which a child may easily be directly introduced to a big world 
of workers which helps to provide for his wants and necessities. 

"One morning during conversation, making furniture was 
mentioned. A boy said he could make some chairs and tables 
if he had the material and tools. We had only one hammer. 
The next day several children brought hammers or saws. One 
brought an arm full of thin boards. There were no nails so I 
suggested we go to a nearby hardware store and buy some. The 
whole twenty -eight trooped off to make the purchase. No one 
tarried on the way back for time was too precious. 

I borrowed a few tools from the manual training department. 
Nearly all the boys worked at carpentry. A few watched and 
one had the wheelban-ow to deliver the products. The girls played 
with the dolls or took their crayons and paper. Some cut 
fancy covers for the tallies, to-be. 

After much sawing and hammering, and a few arguments, 
several passable chairs and tables were made, upon which the 
girls pounced with joy. One boj' made a very good wagon, using 
the wheels which had come off the hobby horses. He took the 
dolls to ride. 

At 10:30 we were interrupted by a party, the birthday of a 
little girl. Her mother sent a beautiful basket of ginger cookies, 
and wee baskets filled with candy, one for each child. These were 
hidden about the room and all had a grand hunt. 

We finished the morning with a game." 



30 



ATTAINMENTS OF A CHILD PROMOTED 
TO THE FIRST GRADE FROM THE 
KINDERGARTEN 



1. Growth in ideals of health and health habits as practiced 
at home and at kindergarten. In manj^ cases the kindergarten 
has to set up ideals unfamiliar to the child. The end of the first 
year should see firmly established the habit of coming to school 
in cleanly condition as to person and clothing. They should have 
acquired standards as to what is meant by a "tidy kindergarten 
room" and have learned hygienic ways of cleaning up. 

2. Growth in knowledge of worth-while experiences of the im- 
mediate environment. Each group should know as a little child 
may the delights of his own neighborhood in the different seasons 
of the year. The same neighborhood will never furnish two 
years in succession just the same possibilities. Unexpected hap- 
penings will often furnish a kindergartener with her largest op- 
portunity. Little walks to the nearby homes will help children 
to see more in their own door yards. 

3. Growth in power to get on with teachers and playmates. 
Often the little child has been the center of the home life and has 
had to make no adjustments. Others have adjusted themselves 
to him. The kindergarten gives him a chance to see that he is 
not the only one to be considered, that he must help carry blocks 
as well as build the tower, that he must take his turn at the favorite 
toy, must share the favorite picture book. He finds no yielding 
to his whim yet sympathetic understanding. 

4. Growth in the power to apply himself to the following out of 
his purposes. He is let alone when he is trying to do something, 
helped when he comes to the end of his own power to think or do. 
He has learned to persevere in the carrying out of his own 

31 



desires. With some children too much repressed, there must be 
roused the desire to make plans. Spoiled children must have 
learned to accept guidance. 

5. Growth in power to interpret directions through following 
them with the group and later as individuals. Many little chil- 
dren have had no experience in conformity of any type. They 
learn to move as a group, to break up into smaller groups and work 
under direction. They become accustomed to a world a bit 
larger than that of the home, regulated by laws needed for best 
working. 

6. Growth in power to express meanings or desires in words, 
in plastic material, in song and dramatic play. The kinder- 
garten teacher sets before the child every available type of plastic 
material, leads him to experiment with these mediums of ex- 
pression and as need arises helps him in his efforts. She intro- 
duces to him through story, picture or song, the art form of his 
own everyday experience and so helps him to beauty of telling. 

7. Growth in enjoyment of beauty. The crystal bowl of gold 
fish, the basket of huckleberry branches, the orderly arrangement 
of material ready for work, the teacher's deliglit in the pretty 
stone brought by the child, the little stand for the bouquet of 
violets, the lovely color in the clouds, — all the attention given to 
these manifestations of beauty have given the kindergarten 
child a chance to grow in enjoyment of everydaj^ things. 

The reports of the Day's Work in the first grades show the 
maturing of children's interests and serve to make clear the uti- 
lization of these in the acquisition of Reading and Language and 
other subjects of the primary curriculum as usually organized. 

A DAY'S WORK IN THE FIRST GRADE. 
REPORT NO. 1. 

This report of "A Day's Work in the First Grade" is that of 
a class ranked below the average in maturity. It was written 
early in the fall. 

32 



1. Things brought from home. 

Beatrice brought some cloth to make her doll a dress during 
the Free Work Period this afternoon. Lloyal said he had a large 
box to bring for a cupboard but had forgotten it. I brought a 
small pasteboard box for the Mother Bear's chair. Ehzabeth 
brought some roses and Nora Jean some asters. They filled the 
vases with water and arranged the flowers for the room. An- 
other Elizabeth said she could make paper mats for the vases. 
I suggested that she might make some this afternoon at the Fi'ee 
Woi"k Period. 

2. Hygiene. 

Every one except Martha, slept with his windows open last 
night and all went to bed at eight o'clock. 

The children found something new on the bulletin board. 
There was a picture of a little boy who had stayed up too late 
and had fallen asleep. Underneath it were two printed sentences 
which had been given to me and written on the blackboard yes- 
terday. They were: 

We go to bed at eight o'clock. 

We sleep with our windows open. 

3. Our Project. 

We had a new chart to read this morning. It was all about 
our trip to the market yesterday. We had written this story 
on the blackl)oard when we returned antl now we had it in printed 
form : 

We went to the market. 

We saw vegetables. 

We saw fruit. 

The man gave us a box. 

We are going to have a market. 

This chart was not so attractive as our other chart had been. 
It had no pictures. I suggested they might cut and color some 

33 



of the things they saw. 

We studied shapes of vegetables on our bkie print chart 
and also vegetables cut from catalog pages yesterday. 

At the end of the period beets, potatoes and carrots were ready 
for the chart. These children found their names in our board 
lesson : 

Magnus made a beet. 
Edna made a potato. 
Raymond made a carrot. 

At this time Lloyal painted the Mother Bear's chair and 
Virginia painted the Father Bear's bed. 

4. Play Time. 

Ten o'clock is our play time. We played we were a great 
forest of tall trees with our roots buried deep in the earth. The 
strong north wind bent us in rhythmic motion while I hummed 
"See-Saw". Then the east wind bent us rhythmically. Next 
we made wide spreading trees that gave shade and the wind 
twisted our branches and trunks every way. Our leaves fell 
rhythmically while I sang "Autumn Leaves". One bo}- sug- 
gested that nuts fell too and we could tap. So to the same music 
the nuts fell. Then we were children again. We went to the 
tool shed to get the rake. We raked the leaves to the right and 
to the left in long, sweeping rhythmic motions while I hummed 
"My Ball". 

We sat down while one boy bounced and caught a large 
ball. We counted. He bounced it eleven times, another child 
four times and another eleven times without missing. 

We then had about two minutes of quiet rest , each child rest-, 
ing in the way he felt most comfortable. 

5. Word Study and Study Period. 

When we went to the market we noticed the man had baskets 
and boxes for his fruits and vegetables. We have learned we 
need practice in cutting on a line if we are to make receptacles 
for our produce. So the children cut ruled paper into strips 
during their study period. 

34 



For word study we used a familiar chart : 

We eat fruit for breakfast. 

We eat mush for breakfast. 

We eat toast for breakfast. 

We eat eggs. 

We eat hotcakes. 

We eat bacon. 
I also had these sentences printed separately on strips. Out 
of these strips they built up a chart in our rack to match the 
original chart. 

6. Literature. 

I retold the story of "The Gingerbread Boy" writing this 

list of characters on the board: 
A little old woman 
A Uttle old man 
A horse 
A cow 

A pig 

A barnful of threshers 
A field full of mowers 
The children chimed in when the repetition of these names 
came in the story. 

When I had finished I asked if one would like to say or do 
something that was in the story. Shy little Edna came up to me 
and said, "I'd hke to chew up the Gingerbread Boy". So she 
snapped at me four times while I was the Gingerbread Boy. 
After the ice had been broken Otto wanted to be the fox. So 
Lloyal volunteered to be the Gingerbread Boy. 

The dialogue was as follows : 
The fox snapped 

Gingerbread Boy:-Oh I'm one quarter gone. 
The fox snapped 

Gingerbread Boy:-Oh I'm two quarters gone. 
The fox snapped 
Gingerbread Boy:-I'm three quarters gone. 

35 



The fox snapped 
Gingerbread Boy:-Well, I'm gone. 
I was interested in noting Lloyal said "two quarters" when 
I had always said "half gone". He also gave an original in- 
tonation to his "I'm gone". 

7. Music. 

At one o'clock the children took their "singing seats". We 
"tuned up" and learned a new one line song. We have a good 
choir to lead us. 

8. Drawing. 

We painted a flat yellow wash today. We are trying hard 
to make all our paintings good colors for we are going to make 
a color book with reading in it soon. We are also learning that 
we must be careful in handling our chipboard for two paint cups 
were spilled today. We are learning too that a good clear color 
demands a clean paint box and a clean brush. 

9. Reading. 

I read the story of "Little Black Sambo". The children 
were fascinated with the tale. Jo and Roy, two disinterested 
babies, stood by me and became interested. The children at the 
back of the room came to the front and sat in the chairs about me. 
I read slowly. We stopped to laugh and exclaim and to look at 
the pictures. This book was much in demand during the Free 
Work Period later. 

10. Play Time. 

Just before recess we went out on the playground and played 
"Squirrel in the Trees". 

1 1 . Free Work Period. 

This was a busy period. The socializing influence of such 
a period is already very marked. None shoved or pushed but 
each waited his turn for materials. Only one had to have the 
privilege of the Free Period taken away from him. The black- 
boaid is a new discovery and is being very popular these days. 
Naturally it is crowded and Robert began to fight with his fists 

36 



for more room. I noted that the children do not have any 
variety of ideas about what to make on the board. I shall have 
some simple forms on the board to-morrow for suggestions— a 
little wagon, balls, rabbits, cats, haystacks, railroad tracks, 
crosses, etc. 

A number of the girls are sewing. Ruth asked if I had any 
buttons. When I said I did not she said she would have to re- 
member to bring some to-morrow as her dress was almost ready 
for the buttons. 

Elizabeth started the paper mat for our vase and put it into 
her school bag to take home to finish. 

Raymond made a paper boat by pasting the ends. 

Martha started a wee booklet. Her pictures are squares of 
color. 

The twelve picture books which the library has loaned us were 
very popular. They love to look at "Little Black Sambo". 

We ended the period today with neat shelves. It had not 
been so two days ago, so we had had to lose some of our free 
period the next day cleaning house. The experience seems to be 
bearing fruit. 

A DAY'S WORK IN THE FIRST GRADE. 
REPORT NO. 2. 

This report is that of a day's work in March with a group 
of advanced first grade children. 

9:00- 9:05 As soon as the children are in their places, we 
sing 'good morning' to each other; and then after 
reciting our health verse, a few minutes are given 
to talking of proper health habits. Each child 
tells what he has done that morning toward clean- 
liness. 

9:05-10:05 The next hour is used for Free Work, Group Read- 
ing and Study. We touch briefly on any picture 
or article brought to school that morning; any 
object of special interest seen at home or on the 
way to school; or any recent experience, which 

37 



may be worked out during this free work period. 
Then the children choose a book to study. Those 
who have studied at home are helpers and tell the 
words, which some child is having trouble in sound- 
ing out. As a child finishes studying, he comes 
up to read; or, if there is no chair vacant, finds the 
work he wants to do until there is room for him. 
The books read during this period are rather simple 
so that the child may study independently as far 
as possible. After reading a page or two and 
commenting on the subject matter, he goes back 
to his table and chooses his work. This work 
comprises all sorts and kinds of activities and it 
is surprising and gratifying to note the growth of 
independence, initiative, originality and harmony 
among the children. All are bus}^ and all happy, 
whether sewing, cutting, painting, writing, reading, 
printing, modeling, designing, making booklets, 
matching words, building blocks, playing store, or 
making a sand table story. After all the mate- 
rial is put away and the tables cleaned off, the 
best work, or a new piece of work, or something 
which may lead to further activity and develop- 
ment, is shown and commented upon and criti- 
cized. There is very little unkind or unjust 
criticism, no matter how crude the work may be. 

10:05-10:15 For the next ten minutes we exercise a bit to 
stretch cramped muscles and work out some 
story play for Physical Education. 

10:15-10:30 Then follows the Music. We sing the songs for 
that month, and any others the children may 
choose. 

10:30-10:40 During the Penmanship work, half of the children 
go to the board at a time, while the other half 

38 



watch and criticise. It is no unusual thing fo 
have a child at his seat run up to show some one 
at the board where he is making the letter incorrect- 
ly, or to ask that some one's work be left on the 
board because it is so good. 

10:40-11 :05 Recess and free play period. 

11:05-11:30 The rest of the morning we spend in word-study 
and drill. The children pick out the words they 
do not know and cannot sound for themselves. 
We have a rapid drill on these words, which in- 
volves counting the number of times they appear, 
on what pages, whether color words, or time words, 
their relation to the subject matter. All this 
helps to fix the words and brings in sense-training. 

11:30-1:00 The lunch hour. A majority of the children buy 
their milk or something hot from the Cafeteria 
to supplement their lunches. Since Chew-Chew's 
visit, many more buy milk. 

1:00- 1:10 The first thing in the afternoon .we have a rapid 
drill in Phonics. 

1:10- 1:55 Then comes class reading. We use a dramatic 
reader for this work and play the story and make 
it a socialized lesson. The children at the tables 
have seat-work in connection with the reading 
lesson. 

1:55- 2:00 Five minutes for recess and 

2:00- 2:10 ten minutes for supervised play. If it is rainy, 

we put back the tables and chairs and play in 

the room. 

39 



2:10- 2:30 Following the play comes Drawing or Industrial 
Arts, at the close of which period a few minutes is 
given to friendly criticism and helpful suggestions 
by the various children. 

2 :30- 2 :40 The last ten minutes of our day we spend in playing 
Language Games, or Folk Dancing, or perhaps 
some one asks for a story. Then we say good- 
night to each other and go home. 



40 



ATTAINMENTS OF A CHILD PROMOTED 
FROM THE FIRST GRADE 

1. Growth in health and growth in right habits of phj'sical 
living and appreciation of the work of the mother in keeping 
the home clean and of that of the nurse and doctor in the home. 
This includes the work outlined in the Course of Study in Hygiene 
and other phases of Physical Education. 

2. Growth in knowledge of worth gained through rich expe- 
riences with others in supplying needs, through growing conscious- 
ness of his place in his home and his relations and responsibilities. 
These experiences have been interpreted to him by the teacher in 
conversation, story or song. This knowledge includes that out- 
lined under geography, history, nature study and literature. 
The "talking over" of the situation, the making of plans, the 
statement of difficulties necessitates the real use of language. 

3. Growth in ideals of his responsibility for doing his share in 
small home and school duties. The child develops a sense of 
what the privileges of citizenship mean by exercising all the re- 
sponsibilities which a six-year old can pi-ofitably carry. 

4. Growth in the power of cooperation with playfellows, the 
ability to lead in activities in a small or large group according to 
his capacity. First grade children may read in small groups 
helping each other. They may help each other in handwork if 
taught not to do work for each other. A small group may 
dramatize a story for the large group. Individuals may lead in 
games. 

5. Growth in the power to keep himself busy at work assigned 
or self chosen projects. He has the power to help plan his own 
day— to find a new task when one piece of work is completed. 
He does not have to be "kept busy." He keeps himself busy 
because he has learned to do many useful things. He keeps 
himself busy ]:)ecause of th^ increase in number and quality of 
his desires. This growth should show in his out-of-school activities. 
His day is too short for his undertakings. 

■11 



6. Growth in language power. He has learned to listen eagerly 
to stories, to comprehend what he hears, to ask questions if he 
does not understand. He has had the delight of telling the other 
children of his week-end at the beach. He has known the little 
boy of long ago as he found him in Stevenson's "When I was 
Down Beside the Sea." He has drawn the picture to illustrate 
his tale. With his companions he has made the bay in the 
sandtable. He has brought from home pictures of a boy just like 
himself wading on the beach. In the reading book he found the 
story of another beach party. In rhythmic games he has ex- 
pressed his memory of the wave which almost overtook him. 
He has made a "Book of the Sea" with labeled pictures for the 
room library. Listening, talking, telling, writing, acting, build- 
ing, drawing, reading, — all have been avenues of communication. 
His language lessons have been needed ones. 

7. Art of Reading. Surrounded by books, hearing stories read 
by older children and the teacher, he has learned to read. 
Beginning with labeled objects and pictures, blackboard and chart 
lessons, making his own chart, composing the "Daily News," 
he has passed on to the good story book he finds in his primer, the 
account of other children in books of the "Bobby and Betty" 
type, finding word drills and phonic lessons needed helps toward 
satisfying his desire to read. The normal child will be able to 
read any of the first grade material supplied and to read in the 
pleasure readers keeping a record of his own progress. He 
will be able to find out for himself his assigned duties for the day 
as found on the work chart; he will be eager to see what news the 
teacher or some child has supplied for the bulletin board. Many 
children will read easily second grade material. Children suffer- 
ing the handicap of not knowing the language or lack of right 
home conditions may not be ready for reading from a book till 
after Christmas. Experiences must first be arranged for and the 
words to express the ideas gained from these experiences must be 
heard and used. Remedial work in reading is given in the new 
outline. 



42 



8. Power of appreciation. The child should be made conscious 
of the beauty to be seen from every window. "Looking for the 
mountain" should be as frequent a performance as inspecting 
the children's hands. Attempts to express beauty though the 
expression be crude makes the consciousness of its existence more 
keen. Every child should "own a robin's song" so personal 
should the attitude be toward the every day opportunity for 
right enjoyment. 



43 



ACTIVITIES OF THE SECOND GRADE 

The activities of the second grade naturally introduce the 
child to a wider range of experiences; his interests stretch out to 
his neighborhood; his wonder grows as to the loads of produce 
from the market gai'dens or the farm, the load of flower pots from 
the pottery, the lumber from the sawmill. A study of the 
activities of his own immediate community outside his home 
opens his mind to the relationships involved, — a survey of all 
the men in our block and where they work, inquiry as to the loads 
carried by the trucks passing along our street, the looking back 
into Indian and Pilgrim days and the communitj^ life of that time, 
stories of the Tree-dwellers all prepare him for the study of 
Seattle and the World Journeys of grade three. 

The first part of the first semester of the second grade may 
well be given over to bringing to consciousness in the seven 
year-old his larger surroundings, — the workers in the street, 
a study of his neighborhood with especial attention to all the 
typical human activities going on in every community, the build- 
ings representative of institutional life, the street traffic and its 
regulations, the representatives of city government with whom 
he comes in contact, (the policeman, the traffic officer and the 
fireman), the sharers in providing the supplies of food, clothing 
and shelter in the little neighborhood, the beautiful gardens in 
the neighborhood, the stars overhead, the beach at the end of 
the road, the suriounding mountain ranges. His reading gives 
him stories of other children like himself in other typical commu- 
nities. He learns to read more and more for himself, to find in 
books the answers to questions he cannot answer for himself. 
He becomes curious as to how things used to be and is interested 
in stories of Indian days (the days of Hiawatha), and finds keen 

44 



delight in the stories of primitive ways in the Tree-dwellers. 
The study of primitive life compared to that of modern conditions 
should make up the work of 2A, leaving the study of Local History 
and World Journeying to the third grade. He has a growing 
interest in the arithmetical side of life for his own experience in 
that direction is broadening. He prides himself on his ability 
to spell and delights in making things to present to others his 
deas. He grows more critical of his technique in "doing what he 
wants to do" and is glad of help in improving his execution. 



4;") 



ACTIVITIES SUITED TO THE SECOND GRADE 

I. Activities which tend toward the Maintenance of Life 

and Health, 

Health inspection by Good Health Club. 

Practicing health chores at home and at school. 

Keeping weight and height records, and tr}''ing to improve 

their condition. 
Giving demonstrations of "How to Clean Your Teeth," 

"How to Brush Your Hair," "How to Wash Your 

Hands." 
Outdoor play involving large muscles. 
Formulating rules for health habits and safety. 
Making a scrapbook, a poster or chart showing "Good 

Posture." 
Making a community health book with collections of pictures, 

rhymes, stories, rules and drawings. 
Learning to make sanitary drinking cups for all trips. 
Making a set of cards to be used in Arithmetic showing 

pictures of good combinations for lunch. 
Dramatizing the work of the fireman, traffic officer, police 

man, doctor, nurse, mother and father in preventing 

injury and maintaining health. 
Making "Safety First" and "Good Health" plays. 
Making health charts for the bathroom or child's own home 

room. 

II. Activities which tend to Practical Efficiency in the Common 

Needs of Life. 

Caring for his own belongings and for school materials and 

property. 
Taking his part in "The Housekeepers' Club." 
Supplying his own needs whenever possible by making crude 
wooden articles, — scissor racks, a box for books, models 
to illustrate talks, or by bringing articles from home. 

46 



Having at least once a year the actual experience involved 
in a lemonade sale, a peanut sale, a puppet show care- 
fully planned to develop the practical ability of the 
children. 
Book dated to show progress in his work. 

Excursions as a class, in groups or as individuals, for the pur- 
pose of studying the occupations of the neighborhood, 
to watch the paving being laid, to see the new addition 
being built, to visit the postoffice, the fire-station, the 
fire-box. 

The learning of the location and names of streets; drawing a 
rough map of directions traveled. 

Carrying on a plaj^ cafeteria with the same prices as the real 
one, with careful attention to accuracy in Arithmetic, the 
chance for reading, the choice of food, the chance for 
good speech habits and courtesy. 

Activities tending toward gaining control of the tools of 
communication. 

Writing invitations for the P. T. A. meetings, concerts and 
festivals. 

Making a class spelling chart. 

Working to increase rate in reading and degree of compre- 
hension, greater accuracy in sounding words so that he 
can enjoy reading his library books himself. 

Drilling himself by hunting known words in old readers as 
a test of his independence. 

Keeping "My Own Arithmetic Book" through the year. 
This may be illustrated. The problems should be read 
to classmates. 

Making his own drill cards for the "Hard Combinations," 
arithmetic games to be used for self drilling at home, or 
group work on difficulties. 

Playing valentine sale, a five-and-ten store or sand store 
provides good drill work. Collecting number rhymes 

47 



increases children's interest in the quantitative side. 
Keeping a record of the time required to conquer the 
"Easy Combinations," the ''Hard Ones," the "Most 
Difficult Combinations" tends to definite effort. Par- 
ticipation in arithmetic contests and games in groups 
and with other rooms. 

Keeping a "Monday Story Book" in which on each Monday 
the story of the week-end experience is written. Illus- 
trations will add to the interest in these journals. 

Following up as home projects the "Things to Do" suggested 
in The Tree-dwellers. 

III. Activities ivhich tend toward Cooperation and Regulative 
Measures needed in Every Day Life. 

Participation in patriotic assemblies. 

Belonging to a Kwan Lomah (Good Friend) Club. 

Working in committees to care for the needs of the play- 
ground and school room. 

Cooperative building of a representation of "Our Neighbor- 
hood," being pushed by the leader to include all the in- 
stitutional elements necessary for living in a cooperative 
community, the children seeing these agencies from the 
standpoint of how they help them. 

Giving a Labor Day Parade illustrative of the occupations of 
the communtiy. Collecting a set of labeled pictures to 
illustrate "Our Fathers at Work." Collecting pictures 
to make charts illustrating different stores in the 
community. 

Making a patriotic play on "What Our City Gives to Us," 
introducing the characters of the fireman, the park man, 
the school master. 

Keeping a room record of "Our Year's Work." Each time 
a big piece of work is done the children compose a class 
report of it. This is written in the book. Add speci- 
mens of the work when practicable. 

Arranging an Indian exhibit to which another room is invited, 
the children to give talks on the articles brought. 

48 



Making home gardens, filling window box, making ladders for 
the window plants, performing soil experiments, planting 
bulbs, providing flowers for the school and as gifts for 
sick children. 

IV. Activities which tend toward the Wise Use of Leisure. 

a. Social Activities. 

Giving a Hallowe'en party for the first grade. 

Giving an Indian play for assembly. 

Giving a series of Indian talks illustrated by charts pre- 
pared by the children. 

A Once-A-Week story hour. 

A partiotic concert for Washington's Birthday. 
Carol singing at Christmas. 
Participation in the May Festival 

Making rh janes for valentines, gift cards, or just for fun. 
Running in a movie theatre "The Adventures of Robinson 

Crusoe." 

b. Activities which tend to habits of intellectual enjoyment 
of History or Drama. 

Impromptu pageants, — "In Indian Days," "In Tree- 
dwellers' Land," "Workers" (from the Tree-dwellers, 
Indians, Grandfathers down to men and boys of 
to-day) 

Making a puppet theatre in which Hiawatha is presented 
as the story grows in the mind of the children. 

Making "A Betsy Ross" house, a "Night Before Christ- 
mas" room. 

Building an Indian village on the playground (in a 
small school) and giving an Indian story hour. 

Having special periods for library reading. 

Giving special programs of favorite poems or stories, or 
from favorite writers for children, — Christina 
Rosetti. 

Keeping a record of "Books we Have Read." 

Writing rhymes in imitation of favorite poems. 

49 



Collecting or making illustrations for favorite stories or 
poems. 

Making poetry books with the help of the printing done 

by older boys and girls. 
Activities which tend toward investigation of special 

subjects of interest. 

Walks to study the neighborhood and a representation 
of it made in the sand table. Making a village like 
the early one of the school's neighborhood, — 
"Gatewood Community," "The Village of Ballard," 
"Fremont and the Bridges." 

Making a "Raggedy Andy" village. 

Making a Pilgrim village, a Holland town, or an Indian 
camp and Grandfather's farm. 

Making Indian, Tree-dweller, Pilgrim and Dutch dolls 
out of clothespins, corn husks, or stockinet for 
themselves, for sandtable use, or for younger 
brothers and sisters. 

Going to see at a Chinese shop the collection of ivory and 
wood carvings of "People at Work." 

Keeping Bird and Flower Calendars in each room, — a 
picture of each bird observed or flower brought in, 
the date and name of child ol)serving it. 

Making a book showing on opposite pages comparisons 
of the life of an Indian child and a white child in the 
matter of food, clothing, shelter, travel, games and 
school. Each page should be labeled. 

Making books on subjects of special interest suggested 
by the year's work, — birds, wild animals, the stars 
the weather, games, Indians, Robinson Crusoe. 

Making lists of good Indian stories, Indian songs and 
poems found in library books or readers. 

Making a sandtable "Zoo." 

Collecting pictures of paths, roads, tunnels, modern 
means of transportation. 

Art Activities, — Creation of beauty or attempts to 

express appreciation of beauty. 

50 



Trips to see the pictures in the building which relate to 
children's interests. 

Making a room collection of famous pictures showing workers 
of all kinds,— "The Blacksmith", "Woman at a Churn," 
"Feeding the Chickens," "The Angelus," "The Hay- 
makers." 

Keeping a "Shrine of Beauty" in the room where something 
lovely is placed each day. Committees may be appoint- 
ed to provide the "something beautiful" with the advice 
of the teacher. 

Children and teacher may make a collection of beautiful 
stories of workers,— "The Japanese Stonecutter," "The 
Story of Vulcan.", "Minerva the Spinner." 

A Spring Festival may express in a creative way the beauty 
of movement, song and color with the setting of the out- 
of-doors. 

A DAY'S WORK IN THE SECOND GRADE 

"At 8:00 a. m. the teacher was met by several boys anxious 
to be allowed to go to the work bench. Consent being given, 
they continued the activities in progress. Children came in as 
they reached school and after disposal of wraps, found some- 
thing to do, either at the blackboard or at their seats. Some 
worked in groups of three or more, others singly. One wanted 
to help the teacher by getting paper from the cupboard for the 
day's work. Nearly all were in the room by nine and were asked 
to come to their seats for morning exercises— the common 
meeting ground, the very family altar of the school — where each 
one brings the fruits of his observations and studies, or the music 
or verse that particularly appeals to him. Here the child makes a 
real effort at self-expression, and making himself understood by 
others clarifies his thought and gains skill. He says something 
we wish to hear and this habit of meeting an audience gives 
self-possession and confidence not gained in any other way. 

This morning we had many interesting reports on bird 
observations and stories of the habits of those we had been study- 

51 



ing. Some had a verse or a song about a wren or a robin and 
Cornelia had made at home a poster of wild geese flying, which 
she was proud to show her companions. At 9:40 the teacher 
called one class to the Reading Circle in the front of the room 
and the others were asked to do some number work on paper or 
at the blackboard. 

In the reading lesson much criticism is allowed and the class 
decides when a pupil should be excused and allowed to pass to any 
part of the room to work at something worth ivhile, while the others 
finish the lesson. 

Those who had been at number work in turn came to the 
chairs with their readers, which left places at the blackboard 
for the others to proceed with their arithmetic. At 10:15 a first 
grade, on invitation, came to see a Bird Festival we had been 
rehearsing for several weeks. Many little acts of courtesy had to 
be called for — room mad(^ for visitors, boys seeing that girls 
had first choice, and finding a nice place for the visiting teacher. 
Children managed the play themselves, one boy playing the 
victrola at the suitable time for liird entrances. One rather 
officious child had to be rel)uked quietly by the teacher for 
meddling, but except for that, all went smoothly. The visitors 
were apparently much entertained and requested more, so a 
little "Bird Dialogue" was given by five little tots. The visitors 
were thanked for being such good listeners and passed to their 
room. 

A Free Period followed at 11:00 o'clock and most of the 
children went immediately to some chosen work. At first when 
this work was undertaken many difficulties arose. Some swarmed 
to one corner, some pushed, but a set of rules have been evolved 
and when broken, a punishment is meted out. Now the over 
impulsive child has learned to conti-ol his impulses, the backward 
one has gained confidence and the rules seldom have to be referred 
to. At the close of the period the teacher spent some time in 
discussing the problems attempted and the ends gained. A 
few had wasted time and had nothing to show. At 11 :15 a silent 
reading lesson was given to each class as follows: 

52 



On the blackboard was written: "There was an old woman 
who lived" etc. Draw a large shoe. Color it black. Make a 
small window. Make six children. Make three looking out of 
the window. Make two looking over the shoe. Make one peep- 
ing around the toe." The lesson for the other group was simpler: 
"Up in the tree a little bird sings. Under the tree a little girl 
swings. Make a picture." This lesson completed the morning's 
work. 

At 1 :00 the children came in informally, removed their 
wraps and conversed freely with each other or the teacher. The 
latter requested them to take seats. A drawing lesson followed. 
Samples of gingham and plaid for aprons or dresses had been 
brought from home, and after discussion as to coloring and design, 
a simple pink check was selected and the children painted on 
paper. As they finished each one placed his on the blackboard 
and passed to the library for a book. When all had completed 
his design, children were called to seats for writing. 

An invitation to the third grade to visit us and see our "Play" 
was worded from the children's suggestions and written on the 
blackboard by the teacher. The children copied this on paper. 
1 :20 An arithmetic lesson followed. 
A guessing contest. 

A bean bag game, children adding their score. 
Writing of bill of fare for lunch and computing its 
cost. 

At 2:00 o'clock all passed to the basement and on returning 
asked to take Music Books and seats for the lesson. Some 
exercises were sung individually and in concert. Much class 
criticism of tone, quality and expression in song singing followed. 
Five minutes passed in a sense training exercise. Birds cut from 
cardboard were handed to one blind-folded who had to guess 
"Robin, wren or woodpecker." 

The last fifteen minutes were devoted to a written language 
lesson. As many as possible went to the blackboard, others were 
given paper. After discussion regarding a club which has just 

53 



been organized, they were asked to write about it. Sentences 
like this were evolved: 

Did you know we had a club? 
Would you like to know its name? 
It is "The Philadelphians." 



54 



ATTAINMENTS OF A CHILD PROMOTED FROM THE 
SECOND GRADE 



1. Growth in ideals of health, health habits and a sense of 
his responsibility for contributing to the health and safety of 
others. He comes to understand more clearly the reasons for the 
habits of right living earlier inculcated. He listens with a better 
degree of comprehension to the talks of the school nurse, is 
interested in the safety rules demonstrated by the older children. 
He is more intelligent in his practice of hygienic law and self 
preservative measures. 

2. Growth in knowledge of the life of his neighborhood. 
A child's neighborhood, its work and its workers, the street 
traffic, the stores, the church, school house and library is the world 
in miniature to the seven-year-old. It must be interpreted to him. 
He must become conscious of all that is going on, of all that has 
been done to make life for him in that neighborhood safe, comfor- 
table and possessed of many opportunities. He must have this 
so clearly in his mind that from it his imagination will carry him 
to other neighborhoods in his own city and across the sea. He 
draws a diagram of his neighborhood walk and so comes to under- 
stand another type of symbol — the roughly drawn map. This 
intimate knowledge of the environment is the stuff with which he 
sees the world. It includes the beginnings of Nature Study, 
Geography and History. From this as a basis he reasons back 
to the primitive stage when "none of these things were," and 
understands dimly how far we have come from the age of the 
Tree-dwellers. 



3. Growth in power to work with others. The second grade 
child belongs to a club which under guidance provides for the 
morning exercise, frames the rules for the use of materials, dis- 
cusses and finds solutions for problems of disorderly and careless 
actions. They form committees for taking care of "Our Library," 

55 



for keeping the cloak room in order, for preparing a chart, for 
sandtable construction. The}' learn to help each other more 
effectively. They show more pride in class records. They are 
less individualistic. 

4. Growth in the power to express ideas and power to com- 
prehend the expression of ideas by others. In the constant effort 
to widen the range of his observation, to make him more familiar 
with the people, animals, trees and flowers of his neighborhood, 
he rapidly acquires a larger vocabulary enriched by clearer mean- 
ings. His eyes perceive his surroundings and every tool, every 
truck load, every institution, every individual has a story which 
he reads for himself. Common situations are full of meaning. 
A fruit stand on the corner sends his mind on travels to California 
orange groves or Yakima orchards or camels bearing their burden 
of dates across the desert. He dreams back to the day when 
there was no fire station, no corner store, no street cars, no auto- 
mobiles, but still fathers and mothers and boys and girls. In- 
terest in the long ago and the faraway begins to grow in him 
through what he hears and what he tells. The power of effective 
speech grows as he needs it in his listening and telling. His 
manner of speech he tries out by the customs of his little world 
and begins to struggle to conform in the use of accepted forms of 
speech. He finds the need of corrective work in language and 
likes to live up to the teacher's ideal of "Correct speech." He 
takes his part in telling of the bird he has seen so that others may 
identify it. He remembers long stories that he has read. He 
likes to dramatize these stories. Efforts to imitate rhymes gives 
a peculiai' pleasure as he gives more heed to form. He likes to 
keep his own book of "hard words," his own illustrated diary. 

5. Growth in the power to read for his own enjoyment and 
and a growing sense of the value of the reading art in getting in- 
formation. The second grade child reads many easy books with 
pleasure. He learns to read questions to himself and without 
vocalization frames the answer which he gives aloud. He has 
less and less difficulty with word pronunciation. He is interested 
in tests of his reading vocalmlary and tries to break his own record. 

56 



He should be encouraged to find in all accessible books, stories or 
information in regard to experiences similar to his own. He 
should be led to test his power to read by the use of written direc- 
tions, the continuation of the bulletin board, and the writing 
of notes when occasion offers. Remedial methods should 
test a child's ability, set up standards of achievement, provide 
material for the word and phonic drills needed and keep a 
record of the child's progress toward this goal. Reading in 
connection with books like "The Journey in Numberland" is 
valuable because of their practical use of the skill in the reading 
art. Children in the second grade ma,y well begin picture collec- 
tions, take library books and the parents be encovu'aged to begin 
the accumulation of a home library. 

6. Growth in power to appreciate and use the facts of the 
quantitative side of life. He begins formal Arithmetic. It 
comes naturally out of his supply of money for buying his lunch, 
out of his going on errands at home and the provision of an 
allowance by the wise parent. Play stores with pictures or real 
articles, valentine sales, games, books of Arithmetic experiences 
furnish some of the needed projects. The second grade child 
gets a good working knowledge of the addition and subtraction 
combinations. Differing as children do some will require much 
more drill than others to fix these facts in the mind so that they 
may be readily used. The new outline in Arithmetic for Primary 
Grades seeks to analyze difficulties, and suggests methods of 
fixing the desired degree of skill. From time to time simple 
tests will provide for each child's receiving a definite measure of 
his ability. Here time limits and records of progress will help to 
make keen the desire to achieve. 

7. Growth in the power to appreciate and enjoy a bit of 
poetry which expresses his own experience, a picture which recalls 
his mother and the baby, the beautiful tree in his own yard, the 
sheer delight in the abandon of the folk dance. The Teacher 
from her own store offers the children new sources of pleasure. 
She places the bunch of daisies in the tall green jar and the child 
sees the beauty in his gift which he had never seen before. 

57 



ACTIVITIES OF THE THIRD GRADE 

The nine-year-old is a person of considerable responsibility. 
He travels about by himself, goes on long trips with his father and 
mother, is able to apply himself industriously to the carrying out 
of his plans, and is ready to go as far afield as his city and the 
stories of other lands gleaned from people and from books may 
carry him. He adds to his knowledge of common flowers, birds 
and trees, turns up the stones on the beach to watch the little 
crabs, — the stars call and the sea. He delights in scouting trips 
in search of historic spots, goes to Suquamish to visit Chief 
Sealth's grave, haunts the library for books on local history, 
knows all the strange folks that may be seen in our ports, persuades 
his father to take him aboard the liner loading lumber for India, 
has his treasures that Uncle brought from Alaska, has perhaps 
lived in Hawaii himself. He is ready to travel with the children 
of other lands. He begins to delight in heroes of other lands, 
joys in the achievements of the cavemen and their progress in 
learning new arts. He has a keen interest in working toward 
standards of attainment in penmanship, spelling and arithmetic, 
and hkes to know that he has "broken his own score in reading." 
He has more things to do than the day offers hours, and only 
needs wise stimulation in building up weak points and doing 
things better. 

1 . A ctivities which tend toward the Maintenance of Life a nd Health . 

Health inspection by Health Committees. 

Holding one's self responsible for keeping health rules already 

known. 
Keeping weight and height records for each child and trying 

to improve his condition. 
Holding Good Health Club meetings. 
Participation in vigorous outdoor play. 
Giving health talks, working out health plays, making Good 

Health posters. 

58 



Making "A Good Health Program" or "A Child's Day" 
illustrating and describing desirable habits. 

Playing Chew-Chew, the Health Clown, for kindergarten and 
first grade children; making sanitary drinking cups for 
them; giving demonstrations to them of safety rules, and 
watching them on the grounds in rainy weather to see 
that they are properly protected. 

Making charts showing "A Good Dinner," "A Good Break- 
fast," "A Good Picnic Lunch." 

Writing health jingles for the Health Magazine. 

Activities which tend to Practical Efficiency in the Common 
Needs of Life. 

Participating in clubs, — A Self Improvement Club, The 
Merry Workers Club, a sewing club, a thrift club, a 
pohteness club and aspiring to "The Self Control Club" 
(an honor club). 

Caring for room and school grounds and school materials. 

Supplying their own needs. — getting material for Indian 
baskets, poles for Indian sandtable, sand to fill the table, 
dirt for eggshell gardens, moss for sandtable, sticks for 
house building, their own Christmas tree. 

Going on one out-door cooking trip, digging clams and cook- 
ing in the Indian method, following up the suggested 
"Things to Do" in the Cavemen as individual projects. 

Helping to prepare and arrange an exhibit of school work. 

Keeping a dated "All-the-Year-Round Book" of their work 
to show their progress. 

Studying the out-doors in the light of its favorable influence 
on those trying to find a means of living in our region, 
learning the names and characteristics of plants useful or 
injurious to man and animals. 

Making a sandtable map of Seattle showing Harbor Bay, the 
principal streets and sections of today and historic 
spots. 

Making collections of pictures of food making tools, — the 
churn; food getting tools, — the bow and arrow, traps; 

59 



looms ; t ransporation vehicles of olden times ; workers of 
primitive times, Indian days and to-day. 

Tracing materials used for food, shelter and clothing to their 
sources, — "Who helped build your home?" Trips to 
near-by sources not too complex for children of this age 
to understand, — the rattan factory, a basket factory, a 
sawmill, a table factory, to lumber and coal yards. 

Taking vocabulary tests, tests in rate and comprehension in 
reading, and trying to improve one's work. 

Taking Arithmetic tests and working up toward a desirable 
score, or being released for other work if score is high. 

Making with the teacher a graph showing the spelling lesson 
record for the class for a week. Trying to improve the 
record of individuals and of the class. 

Make scales of penmanship papers by placing the best at 
one end of the row, the poorest at the other, the others 
arranged between. Each individual tries to get nearer 
the good end. Similar scales may be made in arith- 
metic, in drawing. 

Working in groups to help each other attain desired skill in 
multiphcation tables, in spelling, in reading. 

Making "My Own Spelling Book" for home study. 

Making a "Historical Directory" of Seattle. 

Making a game of important questions and answers on 
"Around the World with the Children." 

Giving once a year a sale or entertainment which will involve 
making change with real money, — a peanut sale or a 
flower sale. 

Keeping a play grocery store. 

Arithmetic contests with other rooms. 

Making Arithmetic Charts showing advertisements of sales 
of children's clothing, books and toys. 

Activities which tend toward Cooperation and Regulative 
Measures needed in Every Day Life. 

Primary flag assemblies. Junior Civic Club, a miniature city 

60 



(organized to take care of school i-oom duties), a Good 
Health Club. 

Planning a "Keep Clean Parade" around the grounds to 
remind every-body of our duties in helping the Janitors. 

Planning ways of helping the young children, taking them 
across dangerous streets, making toys for them. 

Helping take care of the school shrubbery, collecting cater- 
pillar bands, keeping off the boulevard. 

Discussing emergencies, making rules to be followed in the 
halls, on the play grounds, on excursions, for the right 
use of the period for free work with stress on the re- 
sponsibility for following self-made rules. 

Activities which tend toward the Wise Use of Leisure. 

a. Spontaneous ph^'sical activities. 

Play fetes, playing in the snow, leaves or sand. 
Spontaneous pantomime to music. 

b. Activities which cultivate sense enjoyment in wise ways. 
Listening to records of songs, poems and stories already 

known and enjoyed, records of Indian music, the 
stately Pilgrim hymns, records illustrating tones of 
different musical instruments, different emotions, 
Chinese music, bird songs. 

Field trips to look for beautiful colors in bird, leaf, 
grasses, blossoms, pine cones, dead branches and 
rocks. Collecting these objects to enjoy their 
color and form. 

Bird and flower clubs to enjoy the beautj^ of growing 
flowers and moving creatures. 

c. Social Activities. 

Festival of the Pioneers. 

An Early Day party, a George Washington party, a 
Washington Tea for the mothers, the Cavemen's 
Thanksgiving, Christmas on the May flower. 

A Raggedy Ann party for Raggedy Ann and her friends. 

A Round the World Pageant, or a World's Fair showing 
exhibits from all lands, Christmas in all lands. 

61 



A Happy Hour Club which provides for a special hour 

each week. 
Gift making at Christmas, at Easter or for St. Valentine's 

Day. 
Much time given to reading in groups, sometimes 

dramatizing for the others the stories read. 

Activities which tend to habits of intellectual enjoyment 

of history or drama. 

Participation in the Pilgrim Tercentenary program, in 
"The Pioneer Festival," in "Thanksgiving Day 
with the Pilgrims," "Early School Days in Seattle," 
a "Festival of Christmas in All Lands." 

Arranging puppet shows of Indian and pioneer life, 
lives of the cavemen. 

Reading books of history plays, and making history 
playlets, planning historical charades. 

Making in boxes a series of puppet shows which shall 
show the story of Columbus. 

Building "An Indian Village," "Indian Life on Puget 
Sound," "Seattle as Vancouver Found It," "The 
First Settlement at Alki," "Alki Point in 1851 and 
in 1921," "Puget Sound Before the White Man 
Came," "Seattle in Indian Days," "A Prairie with 
Pioneers going West in Prairie Schooners." These 
representations are most valuable when they grow 
from day to-day with the children's desire to express 
the story. 

Making crude representations of implements used by 
earl}^ cavemen, Indians, our grandfathers, vehicles 
of other days and to-day. 

Making a large toy theatre for playing history stories. 

Making their own Totem Poles and telling their stories. 

Making a Christmas story sandtable for the kinder- 
garten. 

Keeping a "Pioneer's Journal" or "The Log of a Prairie 
Schooner" while studying pioneer history. 



62 



e. 



Planning, composing and reading "The Pioneer Weekly" 
or "The Early Days Annual." 

Making a story book "Tales of the Pioneers," stories told 
to the children by grandfathers and grandmothers. 

Making a class book on "The Story of Seattle, — In 
Indian Days, In Pioneer Days and To-day." One 
of these made each year and left in the room would 
make a helpful reference library for grade three. 

Dramatizing scenes from "Ai-ound the World With The 
Children," writing a second "Travels of Captain 
Cook," keeping a diary on a trip around the world 
learning folk dances of different nations, listening to 
records of Chinese music, giving ti-avelogues illus- 
trated by large drawings or charts prepared by 
children after studying Underwood slides showing 
life in far-off lands. 

Making in the sandtable a map of Seattle, showing 
points of historical interest. 

Preparing models or a series of charts showing a favorite 
story. 

Arranghig programs on special subjects, — "Winter," 
"The Sea," from songs, poems and stories. 

Participation in a school festival connected with the 
name of the school if it offers historical or dramatic 
possibilities,— "The Longfellow Pageant," "In the 
Days of Chief Leschi," "Under the Madrona Tree." 

Making simple properties to be used in dramatic work, — 
a crown for the King, cape and ruff for the noble, 
the Indian suit, the head band of the Caveman. 

Activities which tend toward investigation of special 
subjects of interest. 

Excusions to study evergreens, to watch for growing 
buds, a maple tree in early fall, a Hawthorne tree, 
to a blossoming orchard, to study sea life, to gather 
seeds, collect leaves, to gather dry weeds and grasses 
for drawing, to study methods of seed dispersion, to 
learn names and ways of growth of shrubs on the 



63 



school grounds, to learn how to plant trees, to study 
leaf colorings, for cat-tails, for sun-flowers, to 
observe the winter sky, snow on the evergreens, frost 
crystals, to see a birds' nest, to see bird houses, to 
study frogs or frogs' eggs, to choose individual 
subjects for all the year nature study and repoi'ts. — 
"My Petunia Bed and its Visitor the Luna Moth," 
"Our Climbing Honeysuckle and the Humming 
Bird", "Our Rose Garden and Its Enemies," "The 
Robins in Our Tree." 

Keeping a bird feeding shelf outside the school room 
window. Trying the same experiment at home. 

Gathering material for Indian baskets or poles for 
Indian village. Taking trips to study caterpillars 
and bees, to the pond to study water creatures. 

Visits to the hill-top to study geographical forms, to the 
sound or lake for the same purpose, to the play- 
grounds after a rain to see miniature geograpliical 
forms. 

Measuring the length of the block to get a correct idea 
of the length of the Old Man House. 

Having special periods for library reading. If near a 
library regular reading hours at the library. 

Making a scrap book of pictures illustrating geographical 
features. 

Arranging sandtables representing "Modes of Travel," 
"Ai'ound the World with the Children," "A Japanese 
Garden," "A Scene in Sweden," "An African 
Village," "Countries of the Torrid Zone," "A 
Desert Scene," "A Cotton Plantation," A Sheep 
Ranch," "Ali, the Boy Camel Driver," "Peggy and 
Jimmy's Home," "Transportation in Our Section 
of the City." 

Holding a World's Fair after reading "Around the World 
With the Children," the study of each country 
beginning with each child's effort to discover all he 
can for himself through conversation with travelers, 



64 



observation of objects brought from the country 
under consideration, pictures, stereoscopic views, 
movies, geographic magazines and books. 

Arranging an exhibit of Home Work for friends and 
parents. 

Making Booklets "Around the World," "In the Days of 
the Caveman," "Homes in All Lands," "The Book 
of the Ocean," "The Book of Holland," "In the Land 
of Cherry Blossoms," "My Winter Clothes," 
"Cousins," "Neighbors," "My Own Geography 
Book," "My Book of Maps" (maps of well-known 
spots, — our yard at home, our school yard, our 
kitchen, our street, our neighborhood). 

Exchanging lists of places in Seattle where objects of 
interest may be studied, — the store of the Hudson 
Bay Company, Chinese shops, the Forestry Build- 
ing at the University. 

Keeping a calendar of "Blossoming Trees," "A Wild 
Flower" calendar in the spring and fall, a "Bird" 
calendar, a "Book of Nature Notes." 

Making reading lists on subjects of special interest. 

Collecting pictures, labeling them; pasting reading 
material on back of mount, filing them to form a 
room collection on prehistoric animals, wild food 
materials, Indian days in Northwest, pioneers, wild 
animals, children of all lands, boats of every age 
land transportation, beautiful places in Seattle, 
geographical features, historic spots. 

Keeping a room book of "Beautiful Spots in Seattle." 
Children write descriptions, draw pictiues and 
collect postcards. 

Using clay to express ideas of form and proportion. 

Making blue prints of leaves, grasses and flowers for 

booklet covers, borders for their rooms. 
Visiting stores to see beautiful articles made by skilled 



65 



workmen, — rii^s, vases, carvings, Indian baskets, 
mats, pottery and rugs. 

f . Art Activities. Creation of beauty or attempts to express 

appreciation of Ijeauty. 
Studying all the pictures in the building suited to the 

comprehension of the children. 
Visiting an exhil)it of ''Curtis" Indian pictures and an 

exhibit of Indian pottery. 
Making a collection of penny pi'ints of their favorite 

pictures. 
Visiting flower collections in green-houses, parks and 

children's gardens. 
Collecting and decorating of simple flower receptacles, 

learning to arrange flowers, green branches and 

grasses. 
Taking care of a miniature Japanese garden. 
Making a collection of Indian designs. 
Collecting pictures to illustrate "Great Wide, Beautiful, 

Wonderful World." 
Enjoying beautiful illustrations of favorite poems, stories 

or songs furnished by the library or l^orrowed from 

home. 
Children who are taking lessons play for opening exercises 

or the primary assembly. 
Helping plan and carry out simple decorations for parties, 

festivals, etc. 
Reviving beautiful customs, — May baskets, the May- 
pole dance and carol singing. 
Collecting copies of pictures ])y artists which present the 

beauty side of all subjects of interest to the child — 

Indians, pioneers, the sea, the sea-gulls, the moun- 
tains and the forest. 
Keeping a "Diary of Pleasant Days." 



66 



A DAY'S WORK IN A THIRD GRADE ROOM 

"Experience has proved to me that I cannot have what I 
consider a successful free period with forty pupils. Yet I feel 
that my pupils need such a period without losing time from any 
of their other work. My program is so arranged that it allows 
groups of children to work from 8:50 until 9:00 o'clock with as 
much of my supervision as they may demand. They are admitted 
by passes, so that the number is limited to about twelve or fifteen. 

On the day of which this is a record, fifteen children came into 
the room about 8:80. There were eight boys and seven girls. 
Each knew exactly why he came, because he must explain what 
he wishes to do before he is permitted to take a pass. Two boys 
came up to work on an elevator which they were making from an 
"Elector set." One boy was cutting out pictures of Robinson 
Crusoe. He had found these colored pictures in a magazine, mounted 
them upon cardboard the night before, and was now ready to cut 
them out to use in the sand table. He had gotten a boy and a girl 
to help him, so that there were three children in his group. We 
have just finished reading the story of Robinson Crusoe in the 
Beacon Third Reader. Another group of children had pictured 
this story in the sand table the day before but these children 
hoped to greatly improve upon the first representation. One 
boy and one girl came in to finish very elaborate drawings of 
interiors which they were making in connection with their 
drawing work. They had undertaken something quite diffiicult 
in which they needed my help. A girl was making a booklet of 
Seattle-made products. Three children were working on Health 
Books, which most of the class have finished. These children 
felt that they were behind in this work. Two children were 
working on geography booklets which we are making in connection 
with the reading of "Around the World with The Children." 
One boy and a girl had come up to practice on a speUing test that 
we were to have. They were hearing each other spell. Although 
I assisted several of these children when asked, I did a number of 
other things around the room, and even went out of the room for 

67 



some time without the sHghtest fear of disorder while I was away, 
because each child was intent upon finishing his self-appointed 
task. 

At nine o'clock the rest of the pupils came in. They were 
loaded with pictures cut from magazines, pictures drawn at home, 
and lessons written out at home, all of which they wished to place 
on my desk. The first part of our morning exercises is always the 
same : morning song, poem and another song. A child led in these 
exercises. On this morning one boy read a story to the 
school. He had gotten the book from the library and wanted to 
'share a story about a chipmunk with the others. We had just 
finished reading "In the Animal World" in his class and the picture 
of the chipmunk was still on the board. 

At 9:15 we began work. One class studied their reading while 
the other read with me "Jim and Peggy of Meadow-Brook Farm." 
We are making little notebooks in connection with these books, 
which contain, first, a list of the animals mentioned in the book, 
with their names; and second, a list of new terms or words used 
on farms, which we seldom hear in the city. At the beginning of 
the lesson several lists were read, the other children either 
revising their list or criticizing the one which was read. We 
stopped in time to read aloud the two chapters assigned for the 
day's lesson. 

After this came a written spelling test and then physical 
training. The exercises were conducted by a boy. Of course 
I conduct them most of the time, but every child feels that he 
may be called on to lead in them at any time. 

After the physical training came a language lesson. It was 
what we call a "catch lesson," and consisted of dictated sentences, 
of which the following is an example: 

"I can hear John better when I sit here.'" 

The children corrected their own papers and enjoyed it as 
much as any game. At 10:25 the children were dismissed for 
recess. 

In the back part of our room is a long table upon which are 
books, magazines for cutting, games, paste, colored paper, crayons 
and many odd trinkets which the children are constantly bringing 

68 



in. As soon as a child has finished his worlc, at any time during 
the day, he is free to go back to this table or to the blackboard 
and do anything that he wants to do. So, during a study period 
in reading, the child who finds reading very easy, or who has taken 
his book home and studied his reading the night before may 
spend the major portion of his time at the table. At this time 
many projects are begun which are afterwards finished at 8.50. 

After recess the first class recited the i-eading lesson which 
they had studied earlier in the day, while the other class prepared 
their reading for Monday. This recitation was mostly good 
hard work on the part of both pupils and teacher, as reading 
seems to be very hard for these children. From 11 :00 until noon 
we usually have arithmetic, sometimes working all together and 
often in groups. But this day, being Friday, we had sewing. 
We were learning the chain stitch. I showed them all the stitch, 
explaining it as best I could. Then they began to work and as 
soon as a child showed me a satisfactory sample, he went to 
help another child who was having trouble. In the hour we all 
learned the stitch and got the lines drawn on our samplers. It 
was not as much as I had planned to do, but the room is large and 
some pupils very slow. 

At 12:50 several children came up to the room, l)ut only those 
were given passes who could work without any help from me as I 
was busy. At one o'clock, during literature time, I read to them. 
This is the first long book I have read to them this year. But 
we have learned poems and stories and pictures and nature until I 
felt they were ready for a little pure childish pleasure. This 
was followed by writing and music. 

Play time had to be indoors. We played "hide-the-thimble," 
a little girl acting as captain. After recess we had a geography 
lesson, which was a very tame and tedious affair. It consisted 
of reading silently one paragraph in "Around the Woild with the 
Children" and telling the most important fact. Our arithmetic 
had been omitted in the morning so we all worked a lesson. I 
read to them ten long division examples to be divided by 6. They 
copied all ten before any were worked and at a given signal all 
began to work. At the end of a certain time, I read the answers 

69 



and they corrected their own papers. Then we changed hbrary 
books for the week, sang our evening song, and the end of a long 
day had come. I have not stopped to tell how poorly they did 
on the arithmetic lesson, nor how one boy was late, and how I 
know there are some who will probably never learn to spell. All 
these problems were in the day's work." 



70 



ATTAINMENTS OF A CHILD PROMOTED TO THE 
FOURTH GRADE 

1. Growth in the perfection of his own health attainments 
and in the sense of responsibihty for the prevention of disease. 
He begins to understand the home and school regulations and 
learns to hold himself more strictly to account. He understands 
city regulations in regard to garbage cans and dumping grounds. 
He is interested in the health measures provided by the pioneers 
in the early days of the city. 

2. Growth in knowledge of his own city, its early history, 
its development, its marvelous resources, and all the types of 
industry in it gained through excursions, conversations, pictures 
and reading. On the big ship from the Orient he has seen 
packages of silk and huge hampers of china. His father has 
journeyed to Alaska or to China and brought back tales of those 
countries. His next door neighbor is the Danish Consul. 
Books are beinning to yield to him information as well as pleasure . 

3. Growth in the power to join capably in room enterprises, 
to play games with less of the personal feeling than the younger 
children, to set up for himself ideals of dependability, to be 
willing to let some one else have the desired tool, to realize he 
must give others a chance in conversation, that he must share his 
favorite book. He begins to make plans for himself for work 
with others and comes to the teacher with schemes which he desires 
to carry out. 

4. Growth in the power to work toward a more distant 
objective, the ability to judge his own work. He sets up in a 
small way his own objectives, feels himself responsible for seeing 
that certain duties receive attention. He gains power through 
keeping records of his progress in acquiring speed in reading, in 
improving his comprehension score, in improving his spelling 
record, in gaining a higher degree of accuracy in Arithmetic. 

5. Growth in power in telling others of his experiences and 
the ideas gained through them. Children begin to be critical, 
interested in technique, anxious to improve their way of work, 

71 



glad to be shown "how to do it," interested in specimens of 

beautiful technique on the part of others, eager to correct their 

errors in speech, interested in writing scales and vocabulary 
tests. 

6. Growth in interest in and control over the mathe- 
matical side of life. The boy begins to earn and spend his own 
money, the girl to buy Christmas gifts. Both of them may have 
allowances. They have the compelling force of actual experience 
to show them the need of conquering the more difficult com- 
binations and the multiplication tables. The book of Arithmetic 
experiences, the real peanut sale, the dramatized store show the 
need for drill in large or small amount in order that the knowledge 
of number facts may be accurate and readily usable. 

7. Growth in the art of using books. The Third Grade 
child has practically conquered the art of reading. He has 
acquired a zest for different kinds of books, — the good story, the 
tale of other children, the book of animals, early day stories 
and tales of life in other lands. He has gained steadily in power 
to grasp quickly simple statements in regard to subject matter 
with which he is familiar. He has accjuired the habit of looking 
to books to answer for him questions which his own experiences 
do not answer. Remedial work when needed should have freed 
him from slow, wasteful methods in his use of books. The 
provision of material of all types, much reading aloud l)y the 
teacher, and a large amount of easy reading should have aroused 
in him anticipations of the new avenues opened in the Geography 
and history work of the Fourth Grade. Reading books on 
primitive life, local history and good geographical readers have 
prepared him for the study of books. 

8. Growth in the desire for expression in some form of art, — 
Music, Drawing, Handwork, Writing of verse or dramatic 
expression. The lessons in handwork, the attempts at verse 
writing, playing charades, trying to write a play, acting the play 
written by older children, the expression of experiences through 

72 



rhythmic work — all help to meet this developing desire. There 
should be continual growth in all these means of expression. Too 
often children stop on the plane of spontaneous expression in 
drawing or dramatic game. They should show progress through 
being led to self criticism. 

A DAY'S PROGRAM 

The day's program shall mean a day's work, for it is the spirt 
of sincere, effective work in which one can "joy in labor" that is our 
largest objective. The teacher works not as one who "tells" 
what is to be done, but as one who so arranges conditions that 
children are stimulated through their own natural interests and 
capacities to purposeful activity. Taking hold of "the good things 
children naturally desire to do" she helps them do them in a better 
waj'^ and leads the way to higher levels of desire. Educating as 
we must through the environment we surround them with 
materials, — bloclvs, clay, paper, cardboard and wood, with 
crayons and other tools which will lead to creative effort. We 
supply as generoush' as possible the best texts, library books, 
pictures and stereoscopes which will help widen their experiences. 
We use these materials not as doses to be administered, but as 
opportunities to help out their own experiences. We keep these 
materials not shut away from them and doled out but free for 
their use, believing that training in the right use comes only 
through use. We plan to do away with drills for which children 
see no purpose, to fill our day with worth while doing, so planning 
it that repeated natural situations will produce the occasions for 
giving the needed repetition, that the desire to carry out his own 
plans will help a child to have a purpose for needed self drill. 
The plans for a day's work must be like those of the good worker 
in any situation. To-day may not stress the same work as yester- 
day, but the week must see progress accomplished. 

Each day should include four types of work. The length of 
these periods may vary from day to day as occasion demands. 
As suggested by Dr. Bonser, these are: 

A Conference Period in which the work of the day before is 

73 



recalled, reports received, judgments made as to work needed by 
the group or individuals. 

A Period for Work on Projects. This may be group work or 
individual work. It may include study from books, hearing of 
talks or stories, use of pictures or construction work, dramatiz- 
ation, nature study, any creative ivork. 

A Period for Drill Work, need for which has been developed. 
This again may be with individuals or with groups, and will include 
penmanship, spelling, number facts, mechanics of reading, 
language and music. 

A Recreation Period for the enjoyment of folk games, songs, 
physical play or story. 

Bonser — "The Elementary School Curriculum," Chap. VII 

THE PERIOD FOR FREE WORK 

or 

Individual and Small Group Projects in 

Kindergarten and Primary Grades 

AN OPPORTUNTIY 

To the Child 

1. To realize the joy in a situation which peimits the exercise 
of the creative impulse. 

2. To see the necessity for care of materials, the need of order, 
the sharing in the use of tools, the values in cooperation 

3. To grow in resourcefulness in collecting and making use of 
material to serve his purposes. 

4. A chance to practice the exercise of wise choices. 

To the Teacher 

1. To discover unusual ability. 

2. To discover tendencies which need to be ehminated or di- 
rected into other channels. 

3. To test the results of class teaching and find out what children 
need to be taught. 

74 



4. To raise the standard of achievement which yields satis- 
faction to the worker. 

5. To study the language power and needs of her group. 



1. What time in the day shall be used for the P'ree Work 
Period? 

The first period in the session is preferred by many, the 
children going to their work on entering the room. Other 
teachers prefer the last period in either session so that 
material may be put away in order for the next day. The 
children should be responsible for the house-keeping. 

2. How long a time shall be allowed for Free Work? 

Ten or fifteen minute periods in choice of woi-k in read- 
ing or arithmetic are valuable. Half hour periods under 
wise guidance with thoughtful discussion of results has 
proven profitable. A few teachers have found a longer 
period pi'oductive of unusual growth. 

3. Shall the period be supervised by the teacher or should this 
choice of work be given in one of the regular between 
recitation periods? 

Both plans should be used. The teacher needs to be 
with the children to study their needs, guard against waste 
of time and to see that the children hold themselves to stand- 
ard of work she desires to establish. The child needs to 
work without direct supervision to test his growth in self 
control, and self criticism of method of work and results. 

4. Shall children be allowed to "do just as they please in this 

period?" 

If what they please is worth while and the wo.rk grows In 
value and quality of achievement from day to day. Childten 
can be interested in keeping records of their "free choice 
work. 

5. Is not the initiative of children sufficiently taxed in their play 
periods outside of school? 

75 



Outside of school they are often subjected to "bossing" 
by other children, unwisely given assistance by their elders, 
laughter at their mistakes and lack of materials or tools 
which they are free to use. 

6. Should Aot children as well as adults have the chance to gain 
by the experience of others who have worked out the same 
problems. 

They most assuredly should have this opportunity. 
They will profit by it to the greatest extent when they have 
run up against the stone wall of their own difficulties and 
the need for help. 

7. If a teacher wishes to follow a line of study for the day 
would it be in keeping with the purposes of the Free Period 
to plan for or suggest projects to the children? 

Making a program of work with the children, the teacher 
suggesting needs, will solve this problem. The danger lies 
in the teacher doing all the planning. 

8. Is it ever advisable for the teacher to put before the children 
finished products as suggestions? 

This is the teacher's province after the children have 
attempted to solve their own problems. 

9. How may we avoid waste of time in choosing work and 
putting it away? 

By putting emphasis upon the virtue of the quickly 
made wise decision, by having children announce their plans, 
by keeping a list of possibilities upon the blackboard, by 
planning with them occupational projects requiring several 
days for their completion, by providing labeled boxes or 
cupboard space for materials and arranging work centers 
(a library corner, a print-shop, a woodworking . corner, a 
poster table, and arithmetic shelf) in different parts of the 
room. 

10. If a child loses interest in a piece of work and dislikes to 
finish it, what should be done? 

76 



He may need only a little help to tide him over his 
discouragement. He should not be allowed to acquire the 
habit of beginning and not completing work. 

11. With how many children can a Free Work period be success- 
fully managed? 

This depends upon the executive ability of the teacher, 
the degree of self reliance habitual on the part of the children 
and the available equipment. 

12. How can materials be obtained for this work? 

The following sources are available: 
Regular supplies 

Purchases made from building funds 
Books from the pul^lic library 

Collections of materials made by children of upper grades 
The use of odds and ends from the stock room 
Collections and loans made by the children and gifts from 

the P. T. A. 

13. What shall be omitted to give time for this period? 

This period provides an opportunity for work in all 
subjects and may be substituted for any subject at any time 
when the teacher is convinced that such substitution will be 
of greater profit to her class or any section of it. 

REFERENCES 
Alice Krackowizer — 

Social Enterprises of Little Children 

The Free Work Period — Kindergarten and First Grade 
Magazine 

November 1919 P-346 
December 1919 P-393 

Viola Hall— 

A First Grade Experiment — 
Elementary School Journal 
November 1919 P-217 

77 



Teachers' College Record 

Horace Mann Studies in Primary Eduction 
I March 1919 
II May 1919 
III Sept. 1920 
National Council of Primary Education 
Bulletin 1918 No. 26 
Bulletin 1919 No. 69 

INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS 

That life is richest through all its years which sees continually 
ahead of it, desirable "things to do;" desirable because the doing 
satisfies the worker and helps his neighbors. We may judge the 
worth of any activity by the degree to which it stimulates the 
worker to go on to more valuable forms of activity. This 
"leading on" quality, as Kilpatrick puts it, is the test of the 
educative value of any work, whether it be self initiated or 
suggested and directed by the teacher. What children do when 
left to themselves is the test of our teaching. The following 
individual projects show strongly the extent to which the teacher's 
leadership directs a child's leisure activities. 

A. Activities which supply school room needs. 

Making scissors racks, flag stands, paste bottle holders, a 
ladder for the climbing plant, book rests of wood, 
paper flowers for decoration, a shadow screen for 
dramatization, wooden paste-sticks, a cloth doily for 
desk, a bookshelf, costumes for a festival, properties for 
Indian play, rag rugs for the Reading Corner, a flag 
pole for the room. 

Bringing flowers and learning to arrange them. 

Making, filling and planting window boxes. 

Making picture collections. 

Making cards for Arithmetic or other drill work. 

Cutting, arranging and mounting pictures. 

Taking on certain responsibihties for room care. 

78 



Inventing devices for making models of houses, animals and 
people stand in desired positions in boxes or on the 
sandtable. 

Making banks for self sacrifice offerings out of tin cans. 

Making individual sand tables or box models to illustrate 
week-end experiences. 

Individual Christmas Trees. 

"Go and Stop" signs for room traffic. 

B. Activities stimulated by story work. 

Making objects described in stories, — a black horse of wood, 
"Black Beauty," a large tin covered shield for "The 
Knight of the Silver Shield," articles to illustrate stories 
from "Around the World with the Children," a silo 
according to directions in "Jim and Peggy." 

Extensive reading at home and in leisure time at school. 
Recoicls kept by many children. 

Helping arrange and care for "A Library Corner." 

Using toy typewriters or rubber type to write "The Daily 
News." 

C. Activities which are suggested by the study of Man and 
Nature and stimulate to further activity. 

Making representations of the homes and activities of people 
and animals under differing conditions, — a grass house 
described in the Geography, Japanese shoes, the 
Cavemen with their hammers, the Eskimo in his kayak, 
the Tree-dweller hahy in his cradle, playhouses and 
stores out of boxes, Woodland Park in a big platter, 
city streets in big pasteboard boxes, a model of River- 
side drawbridge, the waterfront. 

Arranging a curio table to which all contribute. 

Making a collection of flags of all nations. 

Making blackboard borders illustrating Geography and 
Histor3\ 

The children draw the background with colored crayon. 
Houses, people, animals and vehicles are painted, cut 

79 



out and pasted upon this background. The picture 

grows with the study. 
Making picture collections of all kinds. 
Home garden making. 
Making booklets, posters and charts on a great variety of 

subjects connected with their experiences. Illustrating 

these is a favored form of occupation. 
Doll making from paper, potatoes, stockinet, cork, clothes- 
pins to illustrate all types of interests, and making 

articles for doll play, blankets for Raggedy Ann's bed, 

doll's comforter, a scarf, shoes, furniture, house, bags 

and trunks. 
Boat play, — making sailboats, steamboats, war-ships from 

paper, wood, big suit boxes, — from every kind of 

material. 
Making articles for dramatic play outside of school. 
Making articles for personal enjoyment, — necklaces of paper 

beads, colored beans, colored dough, macaroni and 

berries. 
Making toys from cigar lioxes, camera spools, thread spools, 

apple boxes, any odds and ends. 
Making toy theatres out of any kind of a box for home play. 
A toy drum made from an oatmeal carton brought forth other 

instruments and led to the organization of a small 

band. 



80 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



Batchelder, M. I. 
Bigelow, G. 



Bobbit, F. 
Bonser, F. G. 
Brannon, M. E. 
Burke, A. and 

Meadowcroft, F. 

Charters, W. H. 



Cook, Caldwell 
Cooke, F. J. and Others 



Courtis, S. A. 



Detraz, M. J. 



Materials and Activities in the Second 
Grade — Teachers' College Record, 
May 1919. 

First Grade Course of Study and 
Program — Teachers' College Re- 
cord, Sept. 1920. 

The Curriculum. 

The Elementary School Curriculum. 

The Project Method in Education. 

First Grade Materials and Activities, 
Teachers' College Record, March 
1919. 

Educational Aims, Ideals and Ac- 
tivities — Journal of Educational 
Research, May 1921. 

The Play Way. 

Francis M. Parker Year Book 

Vol. I Social Motive in Sc'iool 

Work. 
Vol. II. Morning Exercise as a 

Socializing Influence. 
Vol. III. Expression as a Means of 

Training Motive. 
Vol. IV Education Through Con- 
crete Experience. 
Vol. V. The Course in Science. 
Vol. VI. Adapting the Curriculum 
to the Individual. 

Teaching Through the Use of Projects 
or Purposeful Acts. 

How Provide for the Development of 
Fundamental Skills — Teachers' 
College Record, Mar. 1920 

Materials and Activities in the Third 



81 



Dewey, John 
Dobbs, Ella V. 
Dynes, S. 
Kilpatrick 

Krackowizer, A. 
Krackowizer 



McMurry, F. M. 
Meniam, J. L. 
Moore, A. E. 



Morgan, A. 



National Society for 
the Study of Edu- 
cation 

Palmer, L. A. 

Parker, S. C. 

Reynolds, C. P. 

Quick, H. 
Scott, C. A. 
Smith, M. 



Temple, A. 



Grade — Teachers' College Record, 
May 1919. 

Schools of To-morrow. 

Primary Handwork. 

Socializing the Child. 

The Project Method— Teachers' 
College Bulletin, 

Primary Projects. 

Social Enterprises of Little Children — 
Kindergarten First Grade Maga- 
zine, Oct., Nov., Dec. 1919. 

Elementary School Standards. 

Child Life and The Curriculum. 

What Constitutes an Acceptable Day's 
Work in Primary Grades — Bulletin 
of National Council of Primary 
Education, Vol. IV, No. 5. 

Education : The Mastery of the Arts of 
Life — Atlantic Monthly, March 
1918, published as Atlantic Read- 
ings No. 7. 



The Twentieth Year Book, Part L 

Play life in the First Eight Years. 

General Methods of Teaching in 
Elementary Schools. 

Elementary Industrial Arts, Seattle, 
Wash. 

The Brown Mouse. 

Social Education. 

An Experiment in Education in the 
School of Childhood, "U" of Pitts- 
burg — Kindergarten and First 
Grade Magazine, Sept. 1916. 

The Kindergarten Primary Unit — 



82 



Elementary School Journal, March 
and April 1920. 

Thorndike, E. L. Education for Initiative and Original- 

ity. Teachers' College Record 17: 
1916. 

Wilson and Wilson Motivation of School Work. 

Yoemans, Edward Shackled Youth. 



83 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

Illl'llJllii! 



019 840 130 4 • 



